Ballarat residents can save a combined $80 million on fuel over the next five years if the Federal Government strengthens Fuel Efficiency Standards, a new report from Solar Citizens has revealed.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Catherine King will launch the groundbreaking report at Federation TAFE on Saturday.
Also at the event will be a live demonstration by a local carpenter running tools from one of Australia’s first Electric Ute, which has vehicle to load capacity.
The “Recharging Ballarat” report, based on data from Australian Bureau of Statistics, found:
- A Fuel Efficiency Standard that aligns with our trading partners would save Ballarat motorists $80 million over the next five years in reduced fuel costs
- Regional Australia as a whole would save nearly $4 billion
- The reduced pollution would be particularly helpful in Ballarat because Ballarat’s rate of asthma is 10.8% compared to the national average of 8.1%
- The number of electric vehicles in Ballarat would likely boom from 60 in 2020 to 6600 in five years, if the Federal Government brought in Fuel Efficiency Standards matching other countries.
Solar Citizens Regional Clean Transport Organiser Ben Lever said Ballarat residents could not afford to lose $80 million in savings offered by embracing clean transport.
“Ballarat and other regional communities are hit hardest by rising fuel costs, because we drive more and pay more at the pump,” Mr Lever said.
“Fuel Efficiency Standards require car makers to limit carbon dioxide emissions, averaged across every car and ute they sell in Australia. Fixing Fuel Efficiency Standards would mean more fuel-efficient cars would be sent to Australia by car companies, including a much better diversity of electric vehicles. Australia has the weakest fuel efficiency standards in the world, so car makers send us their most polluting cars. Ballarat, and the nation, deserves better.”
The report confirmed Ballarat motorists drive on average 30% further than Melbourne residents each week and pay an extra 6 cents a litre for petrol.
Solar Citizens’ regional Electric Ute Roadshow will begin at Federation TAFE’s S Building, 32 Grant Street on Saturday February 18th at 10am. A carpenter display will be powered from the electric ute’s battery and guests will be fed by a barbecue powered by another electric car.
