BMW slams Government over "inaction" for electric cars

BMW has accused the federal government of having its "head in the sand" when it comes to encouraging greater use of low emission vehicles in Australia.

Speaking at the launch of the new BMW 530e plug-in hybrid in Sydney on the day before Labour leader Bill Shorten issued an olive branch to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in a bid to resolve a stalemate over future emission policies, BMW Australia boss Marc Werner slammed the government for its lack of vision to set out a road map that would dictate a wider spread introduction of fully-electric and low-emission plug-in hybrid vehicles in Australia.

"We have talked about this before and not in isolation either," he said.

"There have been strong comments from a number of brands in the automotive industry. And these comments are embraced by the rest of the industrialised world yet fall on deaf ears here in Australia. The reason is clear; our government is so far behind the times in their view of climate change that they probably think we are getting around in horses and carts.

"For a developed country, Australia has shocking emission levels - worse than 34 other countries in the world. Worse than what we would call non-industrialised or third-world countries.

"The government subscribes to a policy of avoidance, rhetoric and inaction, particularly inaction - that seems to be the key behaviour."

2015 BMW i8 Photo: Mark Bean

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BMW is one of the leading car makers to push its emerging spread of battery-powered vehicles, which first started with its dedicated i brand that introduced the radical i3 urban runabout and i8 supercar, and has subsequently expanded with a range of iPerformance plug-in hybrid variants of mainstream models such as the popular 3-Series and X5 SUV, as well as the luxurious 7-Series limousine and now the mid-sized 530e.

While Werner re-iterated his disappointment that the Australian government has failed to follow other developed nations in offering incentives for electric cars, BMW has taken the first step in breaking down the barriers to making greener motoring more affordable by offering the 530e at the same price as the regular 530i with a conventional petrol engine. Traditionally, the high-tech battery and electric motors in hybrid and electric cars have come with a significant price premium.

"This is a technology that all major manufacturers across the world have subscribed to, that the majority have committed to, invested in, planned for and embraced, except Australia," he added.

"Our government has stuck their collective heads in the sand and they are hoping it will all go away. It is crazy."

2017 BMW 530e. Photo: Mark Bean

Norway is being touted by many car makers as a beacon in the advancement for electric cars. The Scandinavian nation offers significant incentives for zero emission vehicles and penalises conventional petrol-powered cars, to the point where cars such as the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Tesla Model S are among the best selling cars in the country.

China is also shifting its focus to electric cars in a bid to drastically improve air quality in its biggest cities.

Even though Werner concedes that demand for electric vehicles in Australia is still relatively low (BMW has sold less than 1000 low emission vehicles over the last few years), he is adamant that its popularity would increase with similar government-backed incentives, such as an investment in charging infrastructure, the deletion of stamp duty and luxury car taxes or lower registration costs, as well as long-term emission targets.

"Here in Australia we have the customer - we have proven that - and we have the industrialisation. All that is missing is the legislation that is critical to the uptake of LEVs (low emission vehicles)," he said.

"Legislation that will assist with the purchase of these vehicles through duty and tariff reductions and financial and non-financial incentives, incentives that will put these low emission vehicles within the reach of more Australians."

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