New heavy vehicle productivity reforms are another step towards more electric trucks on the road, unlocking billions in GDP every year
Not surprisingly the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) has applauded this week’s decision by federal, state and territory treasurers to commit to heavy vehicle reforms which are aimed at unlocking more electric freight vehicles , with the EVC describing it as ‘Australia’s biggest unseized economic opportunity’.
Federal and state treasurers met las week and agreed to a package of heavy vehicle productivity reforms that it believes could boost the nation’s GDP by up to $4.4 billion a year, and which include the removal of some ‘long-standing regulatory barriers’, that it believes are holding back electric trucks.
The EVC said that the government’s Heavy Vehicle Productivity Reform package will provide $400 million to states and territories to streamline truck permitting, cut red tape for zero-emissions trucks, and work to exempt near-silent EVs from curfews and noise restrictions.
The council explained that payments in the package are contingent on states and territories delivering the reforms, funded through the National Productivity Fund.
The Council says that the announcement of the agreement will delivers investment in reforms that will make it easier for the thousands of Australia’s truckies to make the switch to electric.
Combined with their reduced running costs, lower pollution, health benefits and fuel security benefits, all Australians will be better off with more clean, quiet, electric trucks on our roads.
CEO of the Electric Vehicle Council, Julie Delvecchio, said that the Council has long been saying that electric trucks deliver productivity and fuel security for the nation.
“Every electric truck on the road is one less truck relying on imported diesel. Today’s decision shows governments at every level are listening to industry, with real money behind the reform,” Delvecchio said.
“The EVC has been clear that electric trucks are caught up in rules that shouldn’t apply to them , including curfews built for diesel engines, which are just one example, so now there’s investment behind fixing that,” she said.
“Electric trucks have enormous potential to boost national productivity, improve Australia’s supply chains and bolster fuel security, unlocking their potential on more of the road network will deliver benefits that far outweigh the costs of the current regulatory patchwor,” she added.
The Council said that electric trucks still less than one per cent of Australia’s heavy vehicle sales, and that this is in part due to the patchwork of road access rules that apply to the biggest electric trucks, whose batteries make them heavier than other vehicles.
it added that combined with noise restrictions on off-peak deliveries and the slow rollout of truck chargers, operators have been facing obstacles at every turn.
The Electric Vehicle Council’s heavy vehicle lead, Cameron Rimington, said that red tape has been one of the biggest handbrakes on electric trucks in Australia.
“A truck that can’t carry a full load isn’t commercially viable, no matter how much cheaper it is to run and the new government commitment to increase road access for heavy EVs, as well as improving charging infrastructure and lifting noise restrictions is exactly the kind of practical reform operators have been asking for,” Rimington said.
“Government has listened to industry and taken the right decision in favour of reform,” he added.
“The EV Council and its members have been advocating for regulatory changes for the past five years and this year a coalition of 46 clean freight leaders backed those calls in,” said Rimington.
“We’re now looking forward to working with all States and Territories to implement these productive reforms and run more Australian trucks on Australian energy,” he concluded
