A commitment between Australia and Indonesia to advance the development of an electric vehicle production ecosystem is welcomed by Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Behyad Jafari.
“It’s encouraging to see a shift towards positive leadership from prime minister Anthony Albanese to develop Australia’s opportunities in the EV sector,” he explains.
“Australia has remained in the slow lane with EV uptake and manufacturing for too long – the change in tone since the federal election has been felt right across the industry and clearly recognised by our global peers.
“Creating global partnerships, attracting international investment, and changing perceptions of Australia on the world stage are vital if we want to catch up with and lead the developed world with EVs.”
Jafari says collaborating with Indonesia is “an exciting opportunity for our country to get involved in advanced EV battery production”.
It also shows that in spite of Australia’s international performance and reputation on EVs, countries in the region recognise Australia’s potential to shift gears and become an EV manufacturing powerhouse that harnesses the country’s rich resources and highly skilled workforce, he adds.
“But we can’t be leaders in EV manufacturing and new technology while we remain the world’s dirty car dumping ground,” says Jafari.
‘With the government now in the process of setting a new vehicle efficiency standard, it’s absolutely critical that this standard is mandatory and globally competitive for the sake of our environment, health and hip pockets.”
Jafari says research shows motorists can save up to $10,000 over a vehicle’s lifetime if a strong, effective, competitive standard is adopted in Australia.
