Scott Hardman, University of California, Davis; Daniel Sperling, University of California, Davis, and Gil Tal, University of California, Davis
We’ve heard all the concerns about switching to electric cars before. But California, a market with many similarities, shows why Australia is well placed to accelerate its transition.
Electric vehicles were around long before their fossil fuel rivals. They are also set to outlast them because of advantages their advocates noted as early as a century ago.
China controls much of the global EV supply chain, but electric vehicles that use its parts and minerals won’t qualify for new US EV tax credits. Can America build its own supply chain?
On-demand public transit can rival car ownership in convenience, while cutting emissions and cost, and simultaneously encouraging a mode shift towards public transport.
They look like conventional school buses, but electric versions are cleaner, quieter and cheaper to maintain. States, utilities and federal agencies are helping school districts make the switch.
Opposition from vested interests – including oil refineries and the car dealership industry – has held Australia back on fuel efficiency. The onus is now on the Albanese government to intervene.
Whether safety-related fixes demand a software upgrade or a trip to the dealership, carmakers must notify the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and all affected drivers
David Hall, Auckland University of Technology; Melody Meng, Auckland University of Technology, and Nina Ives, Auckland University of Technology
The budget will reveal some extra spending, but the Emissions Reduction Plan still treats climate change as merely a scientific, technical problem – when it has been a political problem all along.