A report in The Australian today, suggesting that standard petrol vehicles produce fewer carbon emissions than electric vehicles, is irresponsible and wrong, according to the Electric Vehicle Council.
The report cites a briefing prepared by engineering firm ABMARC, which apparently finds the benefit of switching to electric vehicles is “not guaranteed.”
Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Behyad Jafari said the report was misleading.
“The cherry-picked data from this single report flies in the face of the views of the Australian Department of the Environment and Energy, as well as the overwhelming weight of international research,” Mr Jafari said.
“Like-for-like, EVs will beat internal combustion engine vehicles when it comes to carbon emissions every single time.
“This truth holds regardless of where a consumer sources their electricity from. However, an EV driver has the option to produce zero emissions through sourcing electricity from renewables, like solar panels or green energy options at home. This is obviously not an option for petrol vehicles.
“As Australia’s grid becomes cleaner the emissions produced by all electrical devices will continue to plummet. The federal government has recently announced two major investments in public fast-charging stations, one worth $15 million, that will be backed by $50 million in private sector investment. These stations will be 100 per cent powered by renewables.
“The Electric Vehicle Council has not sighted the ABMARC report, but based on today’s reporting and past form it would seem fair to conclude it is based on flawed and dated assumptions.
“The message to Australian drivers should be simple and clear: if you want to reduce your carbon footprint, selecting an EV is a great way to go about it.”
