PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Dr SCAMPS (Mackellar) (17:00): I thank the member for Jagajaga for raising this motion on the topic of electric vehicle sales and use in Australia. As we've heard, the uptake of electric vehicles is at record highs, driven by two key changes. One is the rising global oil prices that have encouraged consumers to consider electric cars as a practical way to reduce their household costs.
After many years of waiting, Australians have finally been able to access more affordable electric cars as a result of several policies, many of which were pushed for and supported by Independents on the crossbench, including me. These policies include the electric car discount, the introduction of the new vehicle efficiency standards and the National Electric Vehicle Strategy.
I congratulate the government on moving these important policy measures which have allowed Australians to start catching up with the rest of the world when it comes to driving cleaner, more efficient cars. Prior to the introduction of this suite of policies, Australia, along with Russia, was the dumping ground for some of the world's most polluting cars. But, while there has been real progress in the passenger vehicle market, the same cannot be said for trucks and vans.
The transition in heavy vehicles has barely begun. While electric cars are becoming increasingly common on our roads, electric vans and trucks represent only a tiny share of new sales. This represents a huge missed opportunity.
Truck electrification can substantially reduce freight emissions and our reliance on imported oil. But the regulatory framework is not enough to drive the transition at the pace required. Other countries are demonstrating that much faster change is possible.
China, for example, has shown that, with clear policy direction and investment, the uptake of electric trucks can occur rapidly and at scale. Australia now needs a dedicated national focus on freight electrification. With repeated, serious and prolonged oil price shocks due to international events, this is a critical cost-of-living measure for all Australians.
Australia is again falling behind. We need an ambitious road map for truck and freight vehicle electrification. It means setting a clear goal of achieving 100 per cent electric truck sales by 2040.
It means providing targeted fiscal incentives, such as temporary import tax exemptions and other measures that will help reduce the upfront cost of electric trucks. Countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada have recognised this challenge and are providing financial incentives to support such a transition. It also means supporting local electric truck manufacturing, such as Drop Truck in my electorate of Mackellar, which can provide electric trucks at similar or even cheaper prices than diesel trucks.
It also means prioritising major freight corridors so that businesses can operate electric vehicles with confidence. Importantly, we need to recognise who will be making this transition. Across Australia, there are countless owner-drivers and small family trucking businesses.
If we want them to make the switch, government support is essential. The benefits would be enormous. As the Electric Vehicle Council has noted, an electric truck can displace up to 45,000 litres of diesel every year, cutting fleet fuel costs by up to 70 per cent and reducing exposure to volatile global oil markets.
At scale, 50,000 electric trucks on Australian roads could eliminate the need for 2.25 billion litres of imported diesel annually, keeping almost $7 billion in the Australian economy rather than sending it overseas. A recent Mandala report found that a strong suite of freight decarbonisation policies could accelerate Australia to 1.5 million battery electric trucks by 2050 and generate $138 billion in economic growth.
We are now well beyond the stage of asking whether this technology works. Trials by ARENA and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation have demonstrated that electric freight vehicles can operate reliably in Australian conditions. Electrifying freight is an opportunity to cut emissions, strengthen energy security, lower business costs and create new economic opportunities in Australia.
The technology is ready. The benefits are clear. It's time for the same policy focus we had for electric cars.