EV policy to kill 4WDing: PM Morrison

YOU know it’s an election year when the political slang-match ramps up.

And today 4WDing was raised on the agenda, with The Australian reporting that current Prime Minister Scott Morrison has claimed opposition leader Bill Shorten wants to ‘force Australians out of 4WDs’.

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The comments comes off the back of Labor’s electric vehicle policy released last week, which says that Labor would like to see electric car sales increase from 0.2 per cent to 50 per cent by 2030.

When speaking of electric cars, Mr Morrison said: “It’s not going to tow your trailer. It’s not going to tow your boat. It’s not going to get you out to your favourite camping spot with your family.

“Bill Shorten wants to end the weekend when it comes to his policy on electric vehicles where you’ve got Australians who love being out there in their four-wheel drives.”

Mr Shorten allayed concerns that the government would decide what cars people should buy.

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“What Labor has said is that by 2030 we would like to see half of new car sales are electric vehicles,” Shorten said. “That doesn’t mean the government is going to go around in 2030 and confiscate someone’s ute. Let’s skip the scare campaigns.”

The overwhelming problem with the EV plan is infrastructure, namely charging stations. While there have been improvements – a fast-charging 350kW charger is said to now top you up in eight minutes and provide 200km of travel – they’re of little benefit for 4WD explorers who travel well over 200km between fuel stops.

Despite the intentions for EV dominance in the market, both the Australian Automotive Dealer Association and the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries told Wheels Magazine that the proposal is good in theory, but unrealistic.

Source: www.theaustralian.com.au