Chris Bowen, Catherine King and Anthony Albanese with at a car undergoing fuel efficiency testing in Canberra. A government report warns Australia’s love for the SUV and utes might undermine efforts to reduce emissions.Chris Bowen, Catherine King and Anthony Albanese with at a car undergoing fuel efficiency testing in Canberra. A government report warns Australia’s love for the SUV and utes might undermine efforts to reduce emissions.
The roadmap asks for feedback on a range of possible solutions that are not yet government policy, such as targets or incentives for “active” transport options – such as cycling or walking – and public transport and greater support for e-bikes and scooters.It described the fact “Australians increasingly prefer heavy passenger vehicles like SUVs and utes” as a “potential challenge to decarbonising light vehicles”.
“These vehicles consume more energy and fuel per kilometre than smaller vehicles, resulting in higher emissions and effectively cancelling out the savings made by higher EV sales.” Under the changes, a raft of Australia’s most popular SUVs – including the Toyota LandCruiser, Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X, Nissan Patrol and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport – were reclassified from passenger vehicles to the light commercial category.