Jones welcomes arrival of Electric Cars to Brisbane

Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability
The Honourable Kate Jones
12/03/2010
JONES WELCOMES ARRIVAL OF ELECTRIC CARS TO BRISBANE
 
Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones today welcomed the arrival in Australia of the first mass-produced electric vehicle approved for use on Australian roads, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV.

Ms Jones was on hand today to welcome the low emission vehicles at the Port of Brisbane and received a taste of what it was like inside as it was unloaded to commence a pre-sale evaluation.

"We're heralding the future of motoring," Ms Jones said.

"Electric car technology is coming and the task now is to usher in this technology by looking at the necessary regulations and infrastructure.

"The Queensland Government is supporting greater use of electric vehicles and investigating what we can do to make their uptake as smooth as possible.

"This follows the commitment I made last year when signing up to the international EV20 initiative to fast-track electric vehicle use."

Ms Jones said cars were responsible for almost half of all greenho use gas emissions from the transport sector and Queensland's growing population and car use presented both a growing problem and an opportunity for action.

"The Bligh Government is committed to reducing transport-related emissions. Under our Toward Q2 targets, we're aiming to reducing emissions associated with household fuel and energy use by one-third by 2020," she said.

"Also, our ClimateQ strategy and other sustainable transport measures seek to reduce transport emissions by promoting uptake of low emission vehicles and reducing car travel.

"Electric vehicles offer a significant opportunity to reduce emissions. In fact, when linked with renewable energy, they offer zero-emission transport.

"We have a plan of work, in conjunction with electric vehicle stakeholders such as Mitsubishi and electricity network providers, to investigate the opportunities for local motorists and businesses and address any potential barriers to uptake.

"Thi s plan focuses on the six key areas of environmental performance, infrastructure, regulation, behaviour change, industry development and renewable energy".

"Internationally the investment and production of electric vehicles is rapidly accelerating with several major car companies planning to have them available on the market over coming years.

"While their numbers may be initially small, there are benefits in preparing for their widespread use including greenhouse gas savings, lower infrastructure costs and potential business opportunities.

"That's why I want Queensland to be at the forefront of this exciting technology".