| Media item | |
| | Chamber seeks EV input | GoAuto News,
Sandringham
by John Mellor
| 05 Jul 2023 | | General News - Page 26 - 451 words - ID 1884219837 - Photo: Yes - Type: News Item - Size: 326.00cm2 | |
Victoria sought EV advice from those with the least knowledge of EV issues
THE CEO of Victoria's leading auto trade body has questioned the wisdom of governments taking decisions on vital issues such as EV policies, without consulting with the key players in that industry first.
Geoff Gwilym, CEO of the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC) told GoAutoNews Premium that the Victorian government's decision to abandon its electric vehicle subsidy of $3000 a car after just two years was predictable and was made without seeking the advice of the EV trade.
The $3000 was applied to about 8000 vehicles registered in Victoria before the subsidy was pulled.
"I don't think it was bright of a government that had a 50 per cent electric vehicle target for 2030, just seven years from now, to set that target without seeking our advice.
We could have told them that it was unachievable; aspirational but unachievable," Mr Gwilym said.
Mr Gwilym said the state government set the target of 50 per cent of all light vehicle sales being zero emission by 2030 and 100 per cent of sales being zero emissions by 2050.
"They were the targets. But the problem with the targets was that they were not factored on anything in particular, including vehicle supply.
"There were no mechanics around supply of vehicles to the market, nor around charging technology and charging availability nor the price of vehicles. And those three things still are the major hurdles.
"Victoria was trying to convert people out of a conventional car into an electric car and asking them to pay more for the privilege in some cases 20 per cent or 30 per cent more for a car that doesn't do as much as their conventional car does now.
"Nobody in the Victorian government asked for VACC's input into how an incentive program would work, or whether those targets were achievable. Nobody in the Victorian government asked us in spite of the fact that we were going to be the people selling them and we were going to be the people servicing them." Mr Gwilym said the VACC had indepth knowledge on the EV market and its issues as part of a Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA) European tour which visited five European countries with the most active EV markets to look at their electric vehicle policies.
Asked if the cancellation of the EV subsidy in Victoria would affect dealers, Mr Gwilym said: "I think the main problem for dealers is when governments have short term policies that change. You know, this program has only been there for two years and it's gone. Well, that doesn't send a positive sign to consumers."
Caption Text:
Geoff Gwilym
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