Greenpeace Australia-Pacific campaigner Violette Snow said Australia is one of few countries without fuel efficiency standards to regulate pollution.

“This means we are open to old, outdated models that are more highly polluting.”

Active lobbying from car companies against the transition to zero-emissions vehicles continues, the Greenpeace reports notes.

For example, despite investors’ protests last year, Toyota lobbied the Japanese government to ensure allowances were made for hybrids in its upcoming economic policy, allowing them to be counted equally alongside zero-emissions cars.

In its report, Greenpeace says Toyota – one of the world’s biggest and most trusted car manufacturers – also has an international track record of lobbying against vehicle pollution standards, and actively working to slow the uptake of electric vehicles.

In response, a spokesperson said that Toyota was focused on achieving a long-term and sustainable future as it moved to its ultimate objective of carbon neutrality.

“Carbon is the enemy, and, as the largest supplier of hybrid vehicles in Australia – 290,000 sold since 2001 – Toyota Australia has made a significant contribution to reducing vehicle tailpipe emissions in this country,” Toyota said.

Recently, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald revealed that car industry, through the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, had launched a secret campaign to delay Australia’s transition to electric vehicles.

Chamber chief executive Tony Weber said the body had been calling for a federally led, government-mandated carbon dioxide target for the light-vehicle sector since 2020.

“We look forward to working with the government to develop a plan to reduce vehicle emissions,” Weber said.

Australia is one of the few countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development without national standards regulating carbon emissions of new vehicles. The federal government is considering a national electric vehicle strategy, which would include standards.

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Electric Vehicle Council spokesperson Behyad Jafari said: “Like the rest of the world, Australia is now finally having a conversation about transition to ZEV.”

“Yes, there are voices trying to muddy that with conversation ... but we need to focus on how we best encourage Australians to access the vehicles they clearly want.”

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