What Does Labor’s Announcement Mean For EVs?

What a difference a political announcement makes!

From very little mention in mainstream press to a massive day of media coverage, the Labor announcement of 50% EVs on Aussie roads by 2030 has really shaken up the hornet’s nest that is pre-election Canberra. As Leo Kerr from MyElectricCar this morning acknowledged ‘Incredible day…from an average of 650 visitors per day this month, the site has already had over 600 visitors before 9.30am this morning.”

In addition, Labor’s yet-to-be released ‘Cleaner Transport Future’ report also includes a requirement for half of all federal government fleet purchases to be EVs by 2025 and for all government owned or leased building to have charging stations (so reports the awesome Peter Hannam for the SMH).

Does this sound like music to your ears? ‘Cos we’re sitting up and paying attention to what a politician is saying about EVs (for a change).

Will a Shorten-led Labor government mean (finally!) a colourful, bright future for EVs in Australia?

It’s no secret that EV technology uptake – both in terms of cars on the road and charging infrastructure – is woefully ignored misunderstood by the Australian government, especially when compared to our nearest neighbours across the ditch (here’s raising a charging cable to you, Jacinta!). So, while it’s good to hear something reasonably tangible from a potential leader, there is also a lot of ground for us to catch up on.

This job will be made much easier for a Labor government thanks to the amazing, tireless and passionate work done by so many EV enthusiasts and businesses over the past few years (even in the face of the coal-and-oil lovers wilful inaction, and even road-blocking, regarding the reduction of transport emissions).

From Sylvia Wilson’s trip around Australia in Bluey and her continued advocacy, to the other blue-vehicled EV enthusiast Wiebe Wakker’s massive round-the-world trip, there are some fantastically inspiring people working on making EVs mainstream. Special mention here to the Australian Electric Vehicle Association and Renew, both of whom have done so much to promote the uptake of EVs across Australia and embed them in the public consciousness as a very real alternative to ICEs and not the ‘hippy-mobiles’ many gas-guzzlers think of them as.

We could literally fill this entire blog post with lists of those we admire, but our fingers would get tired (and you’d eventually get bored) so we’ll leave that for another day.

But, to answer the question? The Labor announcement means – potentially – some concrete, high-level government support and financial assistance to everyone in the EV world who’s been working so hard for so long to reduce transport emissions, improve human health and create a cleaner future.

And that’s a political promise we’ll cautiously have some faith in.