Launch of the Holden Volt Electric Vehicle

 

Mike (Devereux), thank you for the invitation to speak at the launch of Holden’s Volt electric car.

I would also like to acknowledge the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, the US Ambassador, his Excellency Jeffrey Bleich and the US General Consul, Niels Marquardt.

It has been a good year for Holden and today’s launch suggests that 2012 will even be better.

The launch of the Volt reminds us of a number of important facts.

It reminds us that the automotive industry is constantly renewing itself.

It reminds us that the demands of the driving public are changing; changing from the old petrol guzzling cars to cleaner, greener more fuel efficient vehicles.

It also reminds us that as one of only 13 nations who designs, engineers and builds new vehicle models and directly employs 59,000 workers, Australia’s automotive industry must continue to innovate.

This is why it is so important that the automotive industry continues to be the largest R&D contributor in the Australian manufacturing sector.

It is a reminder of why the Government’s A New Car Plan for a Greener Future including the $3.4 billion Automotive Transformation Scheme is so important to ensuring our local manufacturers can compete internationally.

Finally, the Volt is an excellent reminder of why it was important to have the climate change debate we have had in Australia this year.

The 15 million light vehicles on Australian roads contribute approximately 10 per cent of our nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

I note that Mike mentioned in his speech to the National Press Club this week that by the end of 2012 there will be almost 30 new ‘environmentally friendly’ models on sale in Australia including all-electric, hybrid, LPG, diesel or ethanol.

The Volt is now part of that collection.

The Volt and other electric cars are an important part of the new range of clean vehicles being developed by the global automotive industry.

They promise environmental benefits when powered by renewable and low-emission sources of electricity.

The Gillard Government fully supports the efforts of the automotive industry in developing and delivering on this promise.

We are doing this because the Gillard Government is committed to ensuring Australia’s economic and environmental future is secure.

We are doing it in a measured and constructive way.

We are doing it in concert with industries like the automotive industry.

The Government recognises the importance of the family car to Australian families.

That is why, under the Government’s clean energy future plan the family car and ute are excluded from the carbon price.

Families in the regions don’t have a bus or a train station down the road like families in capital cities do.

Similarly, tradies can’t replace the work ute easily.

So, light vehicles will be permanently excluded from the carbon price.

Instead, we are working to reduce Australia’s light vehicle emissions footprint through smart regulations and by empowering consumers.

Under our clean energy future plan we are:

• Introducing, by 2015, the first ever mandatory CO2 emissions standards for all new cars and light commercial vehicles sold in Australia.
• We are currently working with local manufacturers to set the emission levels.
• This will be a big saving for motorists through better fuel efficiency.
• We are also requiring all new cars sold in Australia to display fuel consumption labels, spelling out their emissions and fuel consumption in both city and highway conditions.
• Coupled with our Green Vehicle Guide, consumers will be able to make more informed choices about the environmental performance of the car they buy.
• We are investing in new technologies to better manage the flow of traffic along some of our busiest roads.
• By using this so-called Smart Motorways technology we can substantially reduce congestion and carbon emissions, while making our roads safer and smoother for motorists.
• And we are restoring national leadership when it comes to the growth of our major cities. 
• After all, that is where three in four Australians live. Our recently published national urban policy Our Cities, Our Future — supports locating new jobs and future employment precincts closer to where people live, thereby minimising the daily commute.

THE VOLT

Knowing these measures, it becomes apparent why vehicles like the Volt are so important to our future motoring needs.

An electric car that can deliver what the travelling public needs will be a major player in ensuring a clean and green future.

Mike was very keen for me to understand that the Volt is not a hybrid.

It is the first electrically-driven vehicle with range-extending capability.

I am most impressed with the fact that if you can recharge a mobile phone, you can recharge the Volt.

It is a great innovation and a good looking car.

Congratulations to GM and its partners on a terrific new model and leap forward in electric car technology.

It is the innovation and potential business investment and growth that the Volt represents that is also earns the Gillard Government’s support for such projects.

Australian companies and our economy will be disadvantaged if we exclude ourselves from the growing market in clean energy technology.

Just as science and technology have given us the tools to measure and understand environmental problems, they also help us solve them.

The potential for innovation, scientific discovery and hence business investment growth is immense.

The very act of addressing climate change challenges can unleash new commercial forces and unimagined opportunities.

New jobs, new technologies, new markets.

That is what vehicles like the Volt represent.