Critical Times

Dear Kevin Rudd,

Why doesn’t Australia achieve international recognition by being the first country to successfully develop an Electric Car?

In the late 1990s, General Motors began commercial sales of the EV1, successfully demonstrating that a battery powered, zero-emission car was possible. The EV1 was quieter, cleaner and cheaper to run than cars powered by fossil fuels. However, the project was shut own because of pressure by fuel companies.

Combatting rising fuel prices by cutting fuel taxes is only going to delay the problem, and hybrid cars still rely on fossil fuels. The only long term answer is to develop a real alternative. As a nation, we have the money, skills and resources to do this, and current petrol prices and environmental concerns make it a highly commercially viable project.

Violence has already erupted over fuel prices in Europe and greenhouse emissions are devastating the global environment. The world is ready for change — why can’t Australia be the country to change it?

Nathaniel Buchanan