Australia’s energy minister called out for showing off

2GB presenter Ben Fordham has criticized Energy Minister Chris Bowen for “bragging” a Chinese-made electric vehicle as a car expert reveals why most Australian dealers won’t buy one.

Bowen was pictured inside an electric LDV eT60 alongside Transgrid CEO Brett Redman after the company announced it would test the $90,000 vehicle in its fleet.

“It’s good to see Transgrid making this smart investment to get the first commercially available electric vehicles up and running for their business,” said Mr. Bowen.

The Albanian government wants 89 per cent of new car sales in Australia to be electric vehicles by 2030.

But 2GB presenter Ben Fordham said he had no idea how the government would get more Australians to buy electric vehicles considering the price and performance issues compared to their petrol equivalents.

“It’s all about, ‘oh, we’re bringing back Australian manufacturing,’ and in the next breath, they’re like, ‘Here’s a $90,000 ute made in China,'” he said.

“I can’t see that many people lining up and saying, ‘I’m going to spend $90,000 on an electric vehicle made in China when I buy a Ford Ranger or a Toyota Hilux for $50,000.'”

‘How many dealers will rush to buy an electric vehicle at this price?

2GB presenter Ben Fordham said he had no idea how the government would get more Australians on board with buying electric vehicles considering the price.

“I’m not talking about electric cars here, I’m just pointing out the realities about what we currently have.”

Drive.com managing editor Trent Nikolic said that while the UT has a range of about 200 miles, in reality, for many dealers, it would only be about 90 miles, given the amount of gear they load in their vehicles.

“I think it’s less about the price right now, which is ridiculous, and more about the ability

LDV quotes the range of that vehicle at 330 km. If that battery were in a car, it would be about 500, because the ute weighs about three tons.

‘So if you get close to the towing rating or the carrying capacity of the vehicle, you cut it in half [the vehicle’s range].

‘They don’t work for people in rural areas outside of the urban fringe, people who tow a lot of weight, or people who live on farms.

‘The commercial sector, utes, trucks, buses and the like, are the worst case scenario to make a case for electric vehicles.

“Vehicles that are constantly on the road and are rarely parked and left idle are not good for EVs at all.

Fordham said the rollout of electric vehicles would be better suited to those who live and work in the city, as Australians in rural areas require a vehicle that can travel long distances without needing to be recharged.

“There is no way in the world that Anthony Albanese and Chris Bowen can meet their goal of 89 percent of new car sales being electric by 2030.”

Nikolic agreed, forecasting that Australia will be 30 percent electric vehicle-consuming by 2030 because they are not suitable for many car buyers.

“First you need to have the money to buy one, you need to have the ability to charge it at home, and ideally you shouldn’t be relying on public charging infrastructure right now, because there’s not enough of it yet.

Nikolic also questioned why electric vehicle battery packs are not made in Australia.

Transgrid is behind China-made LDV eT60 double-cab electric ute

“Whenever I say to EV evangelists, ‘What about the stuff we’re digging out of the ground to make battery packs?’ their first rethink is, ‘Oh yeah, lithium is common, it’s everywhere’. The second is ‘we have a lot in Australia’.

‘My answer to that is: ‘Why aren’t we building battery packs here?’ The battery is the most expensive component of an electric vehicle. There’s no reason we can’t build that here.