Government Policy and Infrastructure news

US EPA proposes strict emissions rules in EV push
The proposed US mandate pushes for electric cars and could save the economy more than A$1.5 trillion – if passed

Australian fuel efficiency standards: 120 city leaders call for strong action
Australian council-elected representatives have signed a petition to urge the federal government to boost the local EV market

Audi plugs into Origin Energy for E-Tron owners
Leading energy provider seeking to promote EV ownership with the dangling carrot of savings at the charger

EV Council: “Time for Australia to catch up” to NZ’s emissions standards
A survey in New Zealand found most people are happy with the nation’s fuel efficiency standards, and the Electric Vehicle Council wants to see similar action in Australia

Euro 7 emissions rules could mean no more budget-friendly VWs and Skodas
Increasingly strict emissions mandates might spell the end of small entry-level combustion engine models from the Volkswagen Group

Toyota Australia boss has “no doubt” emissions target is coming this year
Although unclear on exactly what it will look like, Sean Hanley reckons a federal emissions policy could be in place before 2024

Fill ‘er up thanks: Hyundai unveils ‘Automatic Charging Robot’ for electric cars
Ridiculous? Not so fast… the Automatic Charging Robot will be perfect for avoiding terrible weather, and drivers with reduced mobility will be glad

Open letter urges Australian Government to further prevent new fossil fuel projects
The open letter, signed by more than fifty environmental and climate organisations, was circulated in various national newspapers and is open to the public

Waze makes EV charging stops easier
The popular navigation app is harnessing its crowdsource feature to ensure drivers can find reliable and available public EV charging stations

RACV urges Melburnians to have their say on the state of their roads
Whether you’re riding, driving or walking – RACV wants to know how Melbourne roads can be improved for you

Study finds inflation is increasing interest in EVs, but usual barriers remain
A Deloitte survey has revealed the consumer perceptions of electric vehicles, with expected and some surprising results

Tesla confirms bidirectional charging coming by 2025, but Musk says it’s ‘inconvenient’
Tesla EVs will gain bidirectional charging functionality soon, but CEO Elon Musk has labelled it as “extremely inconvenient”

Tesla to focus on AC charging roll out; V4 Supercharger launches
Tesla has been famous for its widespread Supercharging DC fast-charging network, but is now also focusing on slower AC stations run off renewable energy

Owners’ High Court case against Victoria’s EV tax gets underway
The three day trial begins in Australia’s High Court today

South Australian Government repeals electric vehicle tax plans
The new SA Government has honoured its election promise to bin the controversial EV tax

EV Council: Mazda Europe chief’s comments on ‘forced’ battery EV focus are misleading
Australia’s EV Council has hit back at the Mazda Europe CEO’s tough criticism of regulators that suggested carmakers have been forced to focus on battery-electric cars at the expense of all alternatives

ABB debuts stylish ‘Terra Home’ EV charger
What if Apple made an EV charger? ABB’s new home wall box might be the closest one yet.

Mercedes launches “global” EV rapid charging network
Tesla Superchargers now have new competition from Germany, but it’ll be open for all EV models to use.

Victoria introducing new tech to combat number-plate cloning
The Victorian government is introducing new hologram-enabled number plates to tackle the rise of forged, or ‘cloned’ plates

Hyundai will sell only electric cars in Norway
The South Korean carmaker will go all-in on electric vehicles in Norway, the world’s leader in EV adoption

Construction starts on South Australia’s EV charging network
South Australia is getting a much-needed boost to EV public charging infrastructure, with construction starting on an RAA network

Energy firm pledges to install up to 30,000 EV chargers around the country
Ausgrid is aiming to lower the cost barrier and make car charging more accessible and affordable

Australian Government funds largest electric truck delivery fleet trial
Your next ‘last mile’ parcel delivery in Sydney might be from an all-electric truck, but it’ll need to wait after this Christmas

Ford Mustang Mach-E: Australian launch looking likely as production ramps up
Ford’s rival to the Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID.4 will launch across the ditch next year, but an Australian launch is unconfirmed