Second-hand electric car market could drive down prices

Powering government, private and rideshare fleets with electric cars could unlock a second-hand market and make them more accessible for everyday Victorians, a community panel has recommended.

Accessibility and affordability were two of the key barriers to electric car uptake that 211 everyday Victorians discussed in response to the question of: “How should the Victorian Government support more people to adopt low or zero-emissions vehicles sooner”.

The panel found government, rideshare and the private sector fleets should be early adopters of electric cars, which could create a second-hand market offering a range of price points.

The discussions focused on how to encourage, and prepare for, a transition to low and zero emissions vehicles. Panel members agreed it must be done in a way that ensures no one is disadvantaged and the needs of all Victorians have been considered.

With this in mind, panel members were encouraged to use an equity and fairness lens when deliberating on how to overcome community concerns such as cost and affordability, which may be holding people back from choosing an electric car.

Working together, the panel researched the topic and came up with solutions to overcome barriers around community uptake, such as cost, access to charging infrastructure, range anxiety and the lack of a clear target for phasing out petrol and diesel fuelled cars (internal combustion engines).

Following the month-long deliberative engagement program, the panel has given us 21 practical recommendations to consider that could encourage more people to consider an electric car as their next ride, and help drive down emissions.

Reducing transport emissions is a critical steps to achieving Victoria’s emissions reduction targets.

Emissions have been decreasing in every other sector except for transport, where cars are responsible for more than half of the state’s transport emissions.

In Victoria’s draft 30-year Infrastructure Strategy, we recommended accelerating the uptake of low and zero emissions vehicles as one of the most effective ways to do so.

We are carefully considering these recommendations which will inform our advice to government on how it can support the transition to low and zero emissions vehicles in a way that is strategic, fair and equitable. This will be included in the update to Victoria’s 30-year Infrastructure Strategy, due to be tabled in the Victorian Parliament in mid-2021

You can read the panel’s full list of recommendations here.