Search

• We model policy options to accelerate passenger Battery EV diffusion in Australia. • Meeting recharger deployment targets as fleet grows is crucial to reach 100% uptake. • Subsidising BEV purchase brings forward price-parity tipping point. • Recharger and vehicle rebate policies costing AUD37.4 billion speed up transition. • Emissions reduction is best when policy introduced at earliest possible date. Transitioning to passenger battery electric vehicles (BEV) can mitigate climate change impacts of road transportation. We develop a novel BEV policy model, nesting it within a national-scale macroeconomic system dynamics model (iSDG-Australia) to simulate a suite of policy pathways. We model combinations of infrastructure support and subsidies, which bring forward the price-parity tipping point, thus rapidly accelerating BEVs' share of new car sales. However, ongoing complementary charging infrastructure investment is critical to reach 100% new BEV car sales by 2050 in Australia. Even with a rapid transition, the modelled fleet would not achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 due to vehicle longevity; and suddenly ceasing financial incentives could retard BEV sales by a decade. Based on our assumptions, results suggest emissions reductions are maximised by the fastest transition of the passenger vehicle fleet to BEVs, entailing government policy support from 2020 to 2050, for both adequate infrastructure deployment (AUD17.9b) and vehicle rebates (AUD19.5b), which achieves earlier BEV price-parity with fossil-fuelled vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transitioning from internal combustion power to passenger electric vehicles presents a highly complex problem for governments. During the past decade, there has been a slow uptake of passenger electric vehicle sales in Australia, a mere 3.6% per annum. This study explores the electric vehicle adoption policies and practices in Australia through an analysis of various stakeholder perspectives. A mixed methods approach comprising program analytics and vector-algebraic study of vehicular stakeholders was used to interrogate a range of electric vehicle stakeholders' data sets with 1, 317 stakeholder statements being analysed. The results of this study reinforce the critical importance of direct financial incentives and economic support measures valued up to A$21,000 per vehicle. In addition, the analysis exposed strong electric vehicle consumer sentiment to install up to 5800 new fast charging stations (151 km of road route per unit) by 2040 at a cost of A$1.2 Billion, while ensuring provision of vehicle model performance data and charging network information programs. Importantly, governments must show leadership with cooperative revisions to national vehicular standards, public fleet electrifications, and setting national passenger electric vehicle purchase targets. The study posits important actions that suborn passenger electric vehicle transition as a foundation for future forms of electric mobility. • There is a slow uptake of electric vehicle sales in Australia. • Analysis suggests beneficial incentives policies for EV of A$21,000 per vehicle. • Estimated fast charging network of 5800 sites requires over A$1.2 Billion investment. • Governments must install national EV standards, public EV fleets and EV purchase targets. • Passenger EV transition supports multiple applications of future electric mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the impact of four-wheel drive vehicles on road safety and the environment. Factors to consider in assessing the safety of the vehicles; Results of a study conducted by the Monash University Accident Research Centre on four-wheel drive models; Impact of the vehicles on the fuel economy according to the Fuel Consumption Guide published by the Australian Greenhouse Office.