Sam McLean
Tesla has not ruled out making its electric vehicles in Australia, but that would require political leadership to drive demand, a senate enquiry has heard.
“The main barrier to increasing electric vehicle uptake in Australia is not consumer appetite, rather it is clear government leadership,” Tesla senior manager Sam McLean says.
McLean says countries that have stronger uptake of EVs generally have plans to achieve that.
He points to a bi-partisan plan developed in New Zealand in 2016 to double the number of electric vehicles on the road every year to reach 64,000 EVs by the end of 2021.
New Zealand has 9241 EVs, way ahead of the 8000 target for the end of 2018.
The senate enquiry, which held its first hearing in Adelaide on August 10, is examining the scope for the greater uptake of EVs, including buses and shuttles, and for greater local involvement in manufacturing and the component supply chain.
Chairman and independent senator Tim Storer has called for Australia to join the shift towards EVs or risk getting left behind. He’s even tweeted EVtalk comparisons between Australia and New Zealand EV uptake and our story about Australians visiting the EVworld NZ conference and expo from August 9-11.
The committee’s next hearings are in Canberra on August 17.
