As a form of Consumer Energy Resources (CER), EVs will have an increasingly prominent place in the lives of Australians and the future energy system. The National Electric Vehicle Strategy has an important role in enabling a nationally comprehensive policy that allows all Australians to access the benefits of EVs, for both mobility and supporting the transition to a lower carbon electricity industry.
Our submission makes three key points:

• ECA supports policy measures to accelerate uptake of EVs. The wide-spread roll-out of EVs has the potential to provide flow-on benefits to both individual EV owners and energy consumers more widely, by providing flexibility in the way energy is used.
• Coordination will be required between the National Electric Vehicle Strategy, energy policy, and consumer protections, with recognition that the consumer journey does not end with the purchase of an EV. For example, consumers’ charging at home must be empowered to choose an energy plan that suits the way they want to charge their EV, including any supporting infrastructure, and with the accompanying appropriate consumer protections.
• The transition to EVs needs to be equitable. Appropriate support, including charging infrastructure, must be available to those that don’t have off-street parking or the agency to install the necessary infrastructure, including renters and those that live in apartments.

Read our full submission here