---
title: Fuel efficiency standard needed to incentivise EVs
description: Some of Australia's most popular car brands have scored poor marks in a report ranking traditional automakers on their climate credentials and progress on delivering low-emission vehicles.
---
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The Canopy is a weekday morning email newsletter provided by the team at Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
# Fuel efficiency standard needed to incentivise EVs
Friday, 20 October 2023
Some of Australia's most popular car brands have scored poor marks in a report ranking traditional automakers on their climate credentials and progress on delivering low-emission vehicles. Greenpeace Australia Pacific Campaigner Joe Rafalowicz said the report underlined the need for the government to introduce an ambitious fuel-efficiency standard that set a pollution cap on fleets and incentivised automakers to make and import low-emission cars.
Cheaper renewables are helping lower power prices by squeezing more expensive black coal to its smallest-ever share of the energy mix over the past three months, but the growing likelihood of a hot, dry summer has experts on edge for future price rises.
After this week's High Court ruling, Victorian plug-in hybrid and electric-vehicle owners could be waiting months to find out if they're going to be refunded for the unlawful road-user charge.
**Top stories: **
[Leaders and laggards ranked in electric vehicle race](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.perthnow.com.au%2Fnews%2Ftransport%2Fleaders-and-laggards-ranked-in-electric-vehicle-race-c-12252425&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=TRJIK2yMMqlXJLlDGXe33lexUgU&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5wZXJ0aG5vdy5jb20uYXUifQ.oT-ywzkqeFNs-eMBCd8ywNRrf9GYu4YxM-UbqAD7PUJq-KBWybXBOERz6ZgB1I_w9hHjVCxTCKW6VE1DogDe0w)
The report, released by Greenpeace East Asia on Thursday, gave low scores to top-selling brands Toyota, Kia and Hyundai for their progress on measures such as electric car sales and commitments to phase out fossil fuel vehicles.
[Renewables squeeze black coal to record low in electricity grid](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fpolitics%2Ffederal%2Frenewables-squeeze-black-coal-to-record-low-in-electricity-grid-20231018-p5ed76.html&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=O_L7XBOk2IZNnqrpL4U2bdI5EfQ&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5zbWguY29tLmF1In0.dLrErlrnr5ygrw6r9BmLnD1I0aNYVH93_YJo5EofLTHngNTsac5xMwvusd5MeI2-ZEAd-GcYmYdqdbniemYuyQ)
But the rise of renewable energy is set to help ease the hip pocket pain by taking market share off black coal-fired power generation and contributing to lower wholesale power prices, which is what retail companies pay to electricity generators.
[When will electric-car drivers in Victoria be refunded after road-user charge was defeated in the High Court?](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.drive.com.au%2Fnews%2Fwhen-will-electric-car-drivers-in-victoria-be-refunded-after-road-user-charge-was-defeated-in-the-high-court%2F&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=tgKYsVkY9ZP29nVKZnSCveEKiXA&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5kcml2ZS5jb20uYXUifQ.eD7Wfn5QjbfD1nBwkWEoc0wuFjLWTwLRL_YYof2qCXt8jVjJSE99Ep4zdTGObXKxdSHqOONp9zSTf-ehraOaDw)
Victorian owners of electric and plug-in hybrid cars have been asked to be patient as authorities work through this week's 393-page High Court judgement that ruled the charges were unconstitutional.
[What Happens to Greenland if We Miss Climate Targets? You Likely Don't Want to Know](https://www.sciencealert.com/what-happens-to-greenland-if-we-miss-climate-targets-you-likely-dont-want-to-know)
A team of researchers writing in the journal Nature have now published a study exploring these questions. In a nutshell, their work shows the worst case scenario of ice sheet collapse and consequent sea-level rise can be avoided – and even partly reversed – if we manage to reduce the global temperatures projected for after 2100.
[Greta Thunberg charged over oil summit protest](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.9news.com.au%2Fworld%2Fgreta-thunberg-charged-with-public-order-offense-in-uk-after-arrest-outside-oil-industry-conference%2F426053f8-7a42-4973-9be1-b33fda02d1bb&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=j8-kkFb-VZlp4cRzpZcnF35wSms&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy45bmV3cy5jb20uYXUifQ._LpKSGs1yzay3YcD80oubp8Vvot77Y_74j5doFanESjP7Mj2-l4kZeBsrQi3DpukxSd57gGjx8btziiikU2ZuQ)
Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been charged with a public order offence after being arrested at a demonstration against an oil and gas industry conference in London.
[Push for more workplace heat awareness ahead of El Niño summer](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.9news.com.au%2Fnational%2Fweather-news-forecasts-should-australia-have-a-heat-temperature-cut-off-for-outdoor-workers%2Fc006557a-2740-4056-b4fb-0cda9dbc2f5a&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=LgXGjfjTQf2Ed0eJUyJWJR_PkZE&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy45bmV3cy5jb20uYXUifQ._LpKSGs1yzay3YcD80oubp8Vvot77Y_74j5doFanESjP7Mj2-l4kZeBsrQi3DpukxSd57gGjx8btziiikU2ZuQ)
Outdoor workers could be at increased risk of heat-related illness, possibly even death, during this year's predicted hot and dry El Niño summer.
[Harder to claim climate-friendly consumer credentials](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fau.news.yahoo.com%2Fharder-claim-climate-friendly-consumer-163000193.html&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=oRgsN4Q4mx_iTZtkMQap8MIfDPs&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6ImF1Lm5ld3MueWFob28uY29tIn0.KBqWhace6cXts2jpM3KPTdbTZRgfZrAHswZTS14QPgcnR6MabVxvsPDBrSjQ_YsGO_sbyl2Z5IymY2oPJNEA2w)
An overhaul of a long-criticised federal program should mean businesses can no longer hoodwink consumers or offset their way out of climate action.
[Santos ploughs ahead with Barossa despite drilling ban](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.perthnow.com.au%2Fbusiness%2Foil-gas%2Fsantos-ploughs-ahead-with-barossa-despite-drilling-ban-c-12256386&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=x15GGMklf_d5uunGarHYezJD29c&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5wZXJ0aG5vdy5jb20uYXUifQ.oT-ywzkqeFNs-eMBCd8ywNRrf9GYu4YxM-UbqAD7PUJq-KBWybXBOERz6ZgB1I_w9hHjVCxTCKW6VE1DogDe0w)
Santos is pushing ahead with its contentious Barossa gas megaproject despite a court injunction banning the fossil fuel giant from drilling at the site.
[climate change](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/climate-change), [Electric vehicles](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/electric-vehicles), [renewables](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/renewables), [transport](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/transport), [net zero](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/net-zero)
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