Merri-bek City Council welcomes the passing of the new Australian Vehicle Efficiency Standards. Council has been advocating for the new standards that will lower fuel bills, create healthier streets and reduce carbon emissions.
Australia has been lagging behind 85% of the global car market that already have these standards in place. Including in a range of markets like Australia’s, including the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand.
Fuel efficiency standards can help boost the range and affordability of low and zero emissions vehicles in Australia. There is a large demand for affordable electric vehicles, and the new standards will help increase supply.
Councils also play an important role in supporting clean transport options. We already champion the uptake of electric vehicles by:
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Council has 29 electric vehicles in its fleet, the largest Council electric fleet in Victoria.
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Council owns and manages 29 electric vehicle chargers, 20 of which are accessible to the public. This is one of the largest Council-owned charging networks in Australia, and our Brunswick EV charging hub in Edward St is one of the busiest. All electricity at Council’s charging stations is zero-carbon. Backed by renewable energy certificates from the Crowlands Windfarm in North West Victoria under the Melbourne Renewable Energy Project (MREP).
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Merri-bek is 1 of 24 Victorian Council’s part of the Council Alliance for a Sustainable Built Environment (CASBE) Elevating ESD Targets Planning Policy Amendment. The amendment includes more provision for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
World-class fuel efficiency standards will bring more low and zero emissions vehicles to Australian shores. This will speed up the transition to zero-carbon transport for councils – and with fleet vehicles entering the secondhand market after 3 to 5 years, this ensures communities have access to the best cars at a fair price.
