Friends in high places

Politicians of all stripes came together with automotive brands and industry bodies in the nation’s capital this month for the formation of the first ever Parliamentary Friends of Electric Vehicles and Future Fuels Transport group. 

Designed to examine ways to drive the growth of Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption in Australia, the group will work with MPs to help develop and promote policies to make EVs more affordable and accessible in Australian and speed the transition away from fossil fuel dependancy.

Audi was front and centre at the launch event on the grounds of Parliament House in Canberra, with the brand’s halo model, the RS e-tron GT on display for the more than 30 Federal MPs from all over the country and of all political persuasions who will form the political contingent of the group.

In keeping with the brand’s global aspirations, Audi Australia is committed to increasing its all-electric and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle offerings, with vehicles like the RS e-tron GT demonstrating just what all-electric motoring can look like. 

The brand will also introduce the all-new Q5 PHEV and the new Q8 e-tron models in the coming months, giving Australian customers even greater choice in the premium sector.

This new Parliamentary Friends of Electric Vehicles and Future Fuels Transport group was officially launched at the event by Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, and will be co-chaired by Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Member for Higgins, Vic.) and Monique Ryan (Member for Kooyong, Vic.).

“We need to work together to usher in the cleaner, greener economy, and investing in electric vehicles is a central part of that,” Ms Ryan said at the event.

“I’m thrilled to launch this group and bring more than 30 MPs into the fold as we look to move Australia into the fast lane on electric vehicles.”

Also present in Canberra were representatives from industry bodies Transurban, Origin and The Electric Vehicle Council.
“It’s great to see the political momentum building for electric vehicles,” Behyad Jafari, Electric Vehicle Council CEO said ain Canberra.

“Australia has more to gain from transport electrification than any other nation. The millions of vehicles traversing our nation can and should be powered by Australian renewable electricity.”

Origin General Manager E-Mobility, Chau Le, echoed that sentiment, reiterating his company’s commitment to help drive the energy transition.

“We’re thrilled to support this launch as part of our ambition to lead the energy transition and help accelerate the uptake of EVs in Australia,” Ms Le said.

“To make it easier for customers to make the switch to an EV, Origin has developed a full suite of solutions to support EV drivers on every step of their EV journey.”

The Parliamentary Friends of Electric Vehicles and Future Fuels Transport group will hold several events throughout the year, while stakeholders will continue to work together on real strategies and policy avenues to accelerate the adoption of EVs Down Under.