Australia is the last developed economy except Russia that does not impose pollution caps on vehicles …
Only twenty years too late.
New cars in Australia use 40 per cent more fuel than in those in the European Union, 20 per cent more than the United States, and 15 per cent more than New Zealand
I am confused. Is the plan about fuel efficiency standards, or CO2 emissions standards?
The article makes no sense, and I suspect the author has no idea.
I suspect the author is just a poor communicator.
If one model of a vehicle is more fuel efficient it uses less fuel compared to other choices. The less fuel it consumes the less CO2 (GHG) it will produce for each kilometre of use. There are other news items from other sources, offering varying degrees of clarity. The pathway and revised standards are yet to be set, a task for later in the year.
Currently there are more fuel efficient vehicle models (lower CO2 emissions) produced for major overseas markets. They are currently not imported to Australia. Setting a tighter standard requiring lower emissions standard will force the OS manufacturers to import those improved models rather than the less fuel efficient versions. Simple.
It’s a step in the pathway to lowering carbon emissions from light vehicle use, concurrent with the transition to electric vehicles. Consider also what it means at the fuel bowser, on the showroom floor and to service support? The existing dealerships, motor support industry and fuel companies will all need to change. It’s a $100B industry where no transition favours the status quo.
The correlation between fuel efficiency and CO2 or other emissions pollution is tenuous.
Diesel is more fuel efficient than petrol, and petrol more efficient than LPG, but it is the reverse for emissions. Diesel is a filthy fuel even when accounting for less of it burnt for a given amount of work.
One reason Australia avoided overseas emissions standards was because our fuel refineries produced substandard fuel. European car makers had models that simply could not run to standards on our crap fuel.
Now that we are down to two refineries, and the Government is paying those two a lot of money to upgrade their processes to meet best fuel standards, we can finally implement European and US standards.
And we can get better cars, including EVs since Australia can’t be a dumping ground for cars that don’t meet the overseas standards.
Possibly an even more confused article than the SMH one. 
I thought the relationship between permitted pollution levels, the range of cars that are imported and the take-up of BEVs was fairly clear. Which part did you not understand?
Sounds like you will find the following an easy read.
“Our standards aren’t aiming to get car companies to invent new cars.
“We’re saying these already exist, and they’re available to customers elsewhere in the world … we’ll introduce the same standards that [other countries] have so that [car companies] are required to bring them here.”
I understand the concept of a “fuel efficiency standard” being the driver of more availability of EVs in our market very well. The New Daily article actually explains it and how a standard makes car manufacturers build and sell more efficient ICEs and EVs into a market to meet the standard, by means of an averaging across the range.
The reduction in emissions of CO2 is a by-product, allbeit a good one. It is not the main reason other countries introduced such standards.
Diesel is now regarded as highly polluting, I’m told it’s because of the particulates in diesel emissions.
Interesting though, I can clearly remember bumper stickers from years ago, which said “This vehicle runs on clean, economical non polluting diesel”.
A bumper sticker like that would be invalid nowadays.
I read an article a few years back claiming that Paris was going to ban diesel powered vehicles in the CBD because of the pollution problems relating to diesel fuel.
I’m interested to hear from other readers about their experiences:-
I try to avoid driving behind diesel powered vehicles because the fumes give me a headache + sinus and throat irritations in a very short time frame.
I find their are two types of diesel fumes and one smells much dirtier than the other.
Also, older petrol powered vehicles, particularly those with large V8 engines tend to produce fumes which are much more noxious than those emitted by modern vehicles.
Do other people notice this distinction?
BB
New fuel efficiency standards announced. The aim is to introduce it next year.
The announcement has been covered in the media and the usual talking point have been trotted out.
We go from; owners can save $17,000 in fuel over the life of a car to the assertion that this will take away utes from tradespeople and those living outside of inner cities. The ABC covers it as do the Guardian, SMH and the Telegraph.
I cannot find the original claim from the Opposition about it putting up the price of some cars and the Tele (who seem to carry it) is paywalled. If there is evidence that considering purchase price and running costs the change would be more expensive I would like to see it.
The political spin is ‘saving $1000 per year’ on energy costs. Energy costs are only one component of ownership costs of a vehicle. Low emission vehicles (such as EVs) cost significantly more and have higher depreciation and insurance costs. EV energy cost is also less when only recharged at home. These others factors are likely to offset any potential savings in energy costs.
I will be interested in seeing whole of life ownership costs before agreeing there will be cost savings to the consumer.
Missing as it often is the cost of not reducing Australia’s GHG emissions. As an incremental step what value do we put on the carbon reductions from less fuel used? Every litre less saves 2.3kg of CO2 emissions if petrol and 2.7kg if diesel.
We may save up to $1000 a year depending on what we drive and how often by replacing that old gas guzzler. Saving planet earth for future generations - priceless.
