Jeremy Cordeaux warns that Australia’s electric car mandates Australia could drive up costs, hurt regional communities, and leave everyday motorists stranded — all while failing to meet environmental promises. His take: policy made for headlines, not highways. Read more
What Are Electric Car Mandates?
Under the latest push, electric car mandates Australia require a rising share of new vehicles sold to be zero-emission by set dates. On paper, that aligns with climate targets. In practice, Jeremy argues, it’s a blunt instrument that ignores how Australians actually travel, our distances, and our patchy EV infrastructure.
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Jeremy points to Europe’s wobble: subsidies cut, manufacturers pushing back, and consumers balking at cost and convenience. He says copying a model that’s already creaking overseas — in a country with continental distances — is policy theatre, not strategy.
Why Regional Australia Gets Hurt First
Outside the capitals, energy networks are stretched and public transport is thin. Jeremy says the electric car mandates Australia plan assumes every town has reliable fast-charging — it doesn’t. If you tow, farm, or do 400 km round-trips, range and uptime matter more than slogans.
Then there’s the sticker shock. Even with incentives, the cost of EVs in Australia is typically higher than petrol equivalents. For many households already smashed by the interest-rate squeeze and inflation, a policy that narrows affordable options feels punitive, not progressive.
The Costs You Don’t See in the Brochure
EVs aren’t impact-free. Jeremy flags battery supply chains, lithium and cobalt mining, and end-of-life battery recycling as under-discussed trade-offs. He’s not anti-EV; he’s anti spin — arguing we should also consider hybrids, fuel efficiency and alternative fuels in a tech-neutral plan.
He also questions grid readiness. If governments push millions to plug in at night, are we upgrading distribution networks, adding firming capacity, and supporting demand response? Or are we setting up new NEM headaches?
A Smarter Roadmap (Without the Crash)
Jeremy’s fix: slow the mandate, speed the foundations. Roll out home and workplace charging, prioritise critical corridors, back tech-neutral targets, and let Australians choose between EVs, hybrids and efficient ICE as prices fall and infrastructure matures.
Bottom line: if the goal is lower emissions, better mobility and a stronger grid, make policy that Australians can actually live with — not just clap for at a press conference. That’s the real test for electric car mandates Australia is racing to pass.
