“The FCAI’s commentary … does not represent the position of Polestar and may have irrevocably damaged consumer perception and trust in the proposed policy,” said Samantha Johnson,the head of Polestar Australia.
“The brand cannot in good faith continue to allow its membership fees to fund a campaign designed to deliberately slow the car industry’s contribution to Australia’s emissions reduction potential.”
Polestars have been sold in Australia since 2022.
Following years of inaction by previous governments to address rising motor vehicle emissions,the Albanese government is designing a “fuel efficiency standard”to cap the average emissions of a carmaker’s overall fleet of vehicles sold each year from January 1.
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The limits,which will apply only to new cars,are designed to reduce emissions by 60 per cent by 2030 by encouraging manufacturers to import either more efficient combustion-engine cars or more electric vehicles,with penalties for those that breach their cap.
Australia is the only developed country apart from Russia that does not impose mandatory pollution caps,with one of the world’s highest emissions per kilometre travelled,but the government’s long-awaited proposed changes have nonetheless triggered a major pushback from parts of the auto industry.