Australia’s peak body for engineers, Engineers Australia has welcomed the government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), but says it could be more ambitious.
Head of Policy for the Electric Vehicle Council Jake Whitehead congratulated Engineers Australia for supporting the NVES on X.
“This is a very important announcement,” Engineers Australia Senior Policy Advisor Grant Watt told create.
“The standards will be a positive step towards prioritising emissions reduction, relieving cost-of-living pressures and improving air quality.”
While he welcomed the new announcement and stressed how important it is to get a standard in place, Watt says that Australia can be more ambitious.
“The government has opted for comparison with the US standard, which falls short of the EU standard,” says Watt.
“The government has opted for 141 g of carbon dioxide per km in 2025. Under the most ambitious option it presented, the proposed penalty for not meeting the standard is A$90 per g of carbon dioxide over the limit. In the EU, the penalty is €95 per g of carbon dioxide, or A$157.”
While Australia is starting at 141 gCO2/km, new passenger vehicle sales in Norway last month hit a record low of just 9 gCO2/km (learn more about the government’s three options).
Senator Pocock and Engineers Australia call for NVES start date to be brought forward
Engineers Australia say the government can also be more ambitious by bringing forward the NVES starting date which is currently set for 01 January 2024.
Earlier this week Senator David Pocock also called for the standard to be brought forward six months.
“I want to see these new standards implemented as soon as possible and call on the government to bring forward the slated commencement date of 1 January 2025 to 1 July 2024, with a six month test period during which penalties do not apply,” Senator Pocock said in a statement.
“Anything less ambitious than what is being proposed will increase the cost of transport and do further damage to our climate.”
