Achi news desk-
Most motorists want more efficient vehicles to be sold in Australia and support the introduction of rules to limit car emissions, according to a new survey.
In a surprising twist, the government’s proposed changes received the most support from those in the outer suburbs, according to findings released by the Electric Vehicle Council on Monday.
But the data showed more than one in 10 Australians still oppose the introduction of a fuel efficiency standard, with the majority saying cost-of-living concerns remain their top priority.
The findings come as the federal government considers the final composition of its New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, due to be introduced in January 2025, amid heated debate over its potential impact on the vehicle industry.
The new research, carried out earlier this month by independent consultancy Redbridge Group, surveyed more than 1500 adults about new vehicle rules.
It found that more than half of all Australians support vehicle efficiency standards (55 per cent), with two in 10 expressing “strong” support for new rules.
Respondents in outer metropolitan suburbs were most supportive of the proposed rules (60 per cent), followed by inner-city and central suburbs residents (57 per cent), while those living in rural areas showed the lowest level of support on 51 percent.
The chief executive of the Electric Vehicle Council, Behyad Jafari, said the vote proved the government should “hold strong” on its commitment to introducing a fuel efficiency standard despite lobbying against it.
“These results show that Australians are overwhelmingly in favor of (a) strong new vehicle efficiency standard despite a month-long scare campaign by the car lobby,” he said.
“Only 16 per cent of Australians say they oppose fuel efficiency standards despite loud and ridiculous predictions that car prices will increase by tens of thousands of dollars.”
Eight per cent of those polled said they were strongly opposed to a vehicle standard, and 29 per cent took no position on it.
The Redbridge poll also found that the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard was not a high priority for most respondents, with just three per cent saying it was among the nation’s top three concerns.
The cost of living, the economy and housing affordability were the biggest concerns in the poll, followed by climate change and healthcare.
The fuel efficiency standard – used in countries such as the US, UK, Japan and China – would set an emissions limit on vehicle fleets to encourage carmakers to balance sales of new high-polluting vehicles with low-emission, efficient cars.
Brands that failed to meet the emissions targets could buy credits from other companies or pay penalties.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen said modeling showed the proposed standard could save Australian motorists about $1000 a year in fuel costs for every vehicle they owned.
But the proposal has been criticized by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and Coalition politicians, who argued that it could raise the purchase price of some new utes and large SUVs by thousands of dollars.
