What can Australia do to encourage more EVs?

Dr Gail Broadbent is passionate about the benefits of electric vehicles. A government policy advisor, she literally wrote the book on social attitudes to EVs.

Although she supports aspects of existing government policy towards battery-electric vehicles, she says Australia needs to do more to build demand for, and supply of, EVs.

Speaking on carsales’ EV podcast, Watts Under The Bonnet, Broadbent lamented Australia’s legislative and regulatory lag when it comes to EVs.

“In terms of government policy, we’re definitely about 10 years behind,” she said.

“[And] Without government policy, you are not going to get the changes that we need...

“The people who bring cars in are incentivised by legislation, regulation, that type of thing. [So] there’s quite a number of things that [the government] can do.”

Broadbent says a mandatory vehicle fuel emissions standard – which is currently being finalised in Canberra – is the most important step in terms of incentivising brands to increase the selection of EVs available Down Under.

But government purchasing policies also have the potential to contribute.

All levels of government can contribute, asserts Broadbent.

“Let’s say the Department of Health ... says we want to buy electric vehicles, then that brings a whole lot of numbers in at once, of one particular model, and they’ve got a guaranteed sale for the importers,” she said.

“That’s really important because not only does it mean that in three or five years’ time, when they turn them over, there’s an increase in the second-hand market, but ... it increases the number of conversations about electric vehicles in the community.

“All levels of government need to attack this. And at the state level, they can offer incentives to help reduce the purchase price … And the other really important factor that we need to consider is the implementation or the rollout of chargers.”

Broadbent says there are green shoots within the wider Australian community’s attitude to EVs, but it’s not all rosy.

“Look, it’s getting a lot better. But there’s also an awful lot of people who know nothing about them [electric vehicles]. And that was what really surprised me,” she said.

“I’ve [recently] done research in New Zealand … Their [fuel emissions] legislation came through in 2016 … but what really surprised me was the number of people who [still] knew nothing about it – didn’t know that the government had implemented a whole bunch of regulations and changes and incentives to get people interested [in electric vehicles].

“The people who owned them already, they were great ... but the rest of the mainstream population actually knew very little. So this is why interviews like this [on Watts Under The Bonnet] are so important – because people listen to what you have to say. They like listening to experts.”

Ultimately, Broadbent asserts EV rhetoric needs to change – and from the top.

“The message comes from the top... Whether it’s the CEO of some company or whether it’s the prime minister of the country, [who needs to] say this is the direction we are going in ... then that’s going to help change the conversation,” she said.

“Change the flavour so that people who were on the fence before...”

And, says Broadbent, things could change quickly.

“The message I would have is: get onboard! Realise that the rest of the world is moving this way and we have to do it too. Start the changes straight away because … an average car is on the road for 20 years, and unless we get rid of the purchase of new fossil fuel cars by 2030, we are not going to get to net zero by 2050.”

To listen to the full interview with Dr Gail Broadbent and other episodes of Watts Under The Bonnet: The Electric Vehicle Podcast, go to the free LiSTNR app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Also check out carsales’ Electric Cars hub

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