Ever wondered how Australia is doing in terms of its automotive CO2 emissions? Well, a recent report by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) shows that carmakers of both on and off-road vehicles in Australia aren’t so good at hitting emission targets.
The FCAI, a group funded by the auto industry itself, prepared the report by collecting data in 2020 about vehicles' average emissions from top car brands in Australia. This is the first report of its kind, and judging by the results, there’s not much to show for the carmakers’ sense of accountability for their CO2 emission.
How the Auto Industry Is Responding
There’s a fair bit of concern that the FCAI’s report will push the Australian government to set new rules and regulations on the automotive industry. The industry anticipates that happening and has already established its plan to reduce carbon emissions between 2020 and 2030.
Criticisms about Emission Targets
Despite the auto industry’s plans to reduce emissions, there’s no one to enforce those targets. Auto manufacturers aren’t compelled in any way to play along, seeing as none of it is compulsory.
With the entire effort being voluntary, it seems that most of the leading car brands missed on those targets. In fact, only 30% of the car brands in Australia (or 12 out of 39 brands) reduced their emissions, but none came near the industry's targets. What makes it worse is that the standards are too low. As some critics observed, Australia's targets are so unchallenging compared with the goals set by Europe and other developed regions in the world.
Some automakers disagree. According to a representative Toyota, the Japanese carmaker, famed for its Toyota hybrid cars like the Prius, the voluntary emissions targets are, in reality, very challenging for automakers to achieve.
Is It the Fuel?
Some sides are blaming the high emissions on the standard of fuels available to drivers in Australia. To be honest about it, the diesel fuel available in the country is one of the world’s best. However, it’s the petrol that’s problematic.
The sulphur content of Aussie petrol is so high that it ranks 80th worldwide for unleaded petrol quality.
Why does that matter in the grander scheme of things?
Well, according to some automotive executives, having only low-quality fuel on offer means that the Australian market only receives older, less-efficient cars and engines. The argument here is that if the fuel industry were to upgrade itself and offer better products to customers, the automotive industry would be able to do the same.
While we can see that happening, it's probably not taking place anytime soon. It seems that better-quality fuel will only be required sometime in 2027.
How Brands in Each Segment Fared In the Report
The FCAI report is incredibly detailed, so here’s a look at some of the highlights according to each segment.
Passenger Car Brands
According to the FCAI report, some of the most popular car brands making passenger cars were well below the industry average for their carbon emission. That included brands like Mitsubishi, Nissan, Ford, and several others.
Heavier Vehicles
Less of a surprise when it comes to CO2 emissions are the heavier vehicles like utes and 4WDs. Out of a total of twenty-five, only eight brands managed to hit the emissions targets set for these kinds of cars.
Luxury Car Brands
Even on the higher end of the spectrum, luxury car brands like BMW, Audi, Porsche, and Mercedes exceeded the carbon emission standards. One did come out better than the rest, however. Lexus was well ahead of the pack, mainly when it came to their cars and even their smaller SUVs.
Supercar Brands
Probably the second least surprising of all (besides heavier vehicles) is the supercar brands. Brands like Lamborghini, Maserati, and Ferrari came off worse overall in terms of carbon emission.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to top car brands in Australia and the high CO2 emissions of their vehicles, there are several ways to look at things. Clearly, it’s not a straightforward issue with just one right or wrong answer. Some people who read the FCAI report might assume that the high carbon emissions are the fault of carmakers themselves.
Others might point the finger at the low-quality fuel on sale in Australia, which only allows for less efficient engines to be used in the country.
Still, let’s not forget that there are two other sides which affect this issue. Firstly, government regulation would go a very long way towards compelling carmakers to reduce carbon emission from each of their cars.
But besides that, car buyers like us also have a lot of say in the matter. If emission targets are essential to us, we should spend our money buying vehicles like Toyota hybrid cars and other brands.
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By Ray Hasbollah