Election expected to drive confidence in electric cars
Automotive experts issued the predictions on Wednesday following an election campaign in which the coalition announced plans to remove tax breaks for electric cars and repeal penalties for exceeding vehicle pollution limits.
While the changes will not go ahead, other motoring groups warned the incoming Labor government would still need to make greater investments in training and infrastructure to support the industry's transition to low-emission transport.
The forecasts come after a bruising election campaign for transport, in which the coalition pledged to remove penalties for exceeding emission limits under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard before they came into effect in July.
The party also promised to remove fringe benefits tax exemptions for some electric vehicles that had cut their price by thousands of dollars.
Changing the regulations would have made it more difficult for motorists to access and afford environmentally friendly cars, Electric Vehicle Council policy head Aman Gaur said, and voters saw through claims to the contrary.
"Australians have backed cleaner, more affordable vehicles, rejecting the 'ute tax' scare campaign and plans to remove the electric car discount, which helps make the EV transition more accessible," he said.
"The electorate's support for the EV transition gives manufacturers certainty around policy settings and will encourage more supply of cutting-edge low-emission vehicles to Australia."
Claims that a fuel-efficiency standard would raise the price of popular utes by thousands of dollars, which have been debunked by AAP FactCheck, were clearly not accepted by the public, Swinburne University future urban mobility professor Hussein Dia said.
"The evidence from overseas was that (prices) did not rise and, in cases where there was change, they were very minor changes," he said.
"Now, with competition and more imports from China, this will dampen prices further."
Automotive groups including the Motor Trades Association of Australia and Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce said the industry welcomed the certainty the election result provided, but they warned the government would need to assist businesses making the transition.
Greater investments would be needed in "training, equipment and infrastructure," chamber chief executive Peter Jones said, particularly for independent workshops and regional businesses.
"As manufacturers bring more electric and hybrid vehicles to our shores, it is essential that adequate support mechanisms are established for the entire automotive ecosystem," he said.
Australia's New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, introduced in January, sets emissions limits on vehicle fleets, with a trading scheme and penalties for manufacturers which exceed them.
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