Electric Vehicles Are The Way Of The Future

Did you know that you can reduce your emissions by 30% by switching to a 2nd hand electric vehicle - and they are now more affordable than ever.

"When my mum passed away in 2016, I inherited a small amount of money and decided to invest in a 2nd hand electric vehicle. Mum was always a bit of an environmentalist deep down inside and she's a big part of the reason that I ran for office. So I've proudly owned a 2nd hand Tesla (with the bank!) for the last 5 years and I've never regretted it."

Electric Vehicles are the way of the future and the sooner that governments at all levels make them a more affordable and more practical option the better.

I'm proud that Northern Beaches Council has been leading the way with the provision of charging stations. We have partnered with AusGrid and Jolt for a community "Jolt" EV charger in Mona Vale and there are more planned for Belrose and throughout the beaches.

In the last 12 months, EV ownership has skyrocketed, almost doubling to 23 thousand new registrations, representing the second year in a row where the total number of electric vehicles has almost doubled.

Now, more than ever, Australians are making the switch to EV's and governments need to recognise that shift.

As a Council, it is important we lead by example to drive down carbon emissions and invest in enabling infrastructure that will make it easier for residents to switch to green transport solutions.

Mayor Michael Regan says that “As an owner and driver of an EV, I can personally vouch for the many benefits of this increasingly affordable and popular mode of transport. As for the charging infrastructure, this was very simple to have installed at home and not expensive.”

I have a charger at home that I use every few nights to "fill the tank".

"It is important that Council shows leadership by example in a community and reducing pollution should be important to everyone. I am working with my team to ensure the council fleet (which represents 12% of council's emissions) and the community (transport is 30% of community emissions) can drive down their emissions too," Mayor Regan said.

In terms of affordability, council supports the work of Zero Emissions Sydney North who are sourcing bulk buys of second hand electric vehicles from Europe, where the market is more advanced, to make an entry-level EV cost around $20,000.

At this rate, if you're going to buy a new car, you should consider a second hand EV that drives down emissions by 30% and will let you travel for 3-4 hours without needing a recharge. You can certainly get around everywhere on the beaches in one without using petrol!

Some people say this isn't a Council issue but when Governments fail at other levels, often it is the role of Council to pick up the slack. We are not waiting for leadership at other levels, we are moving ahead and building the infrastructure for a sustainable future.

After the Council elections on 4 December, I look forward to the new Council investigating transitioning the council fleet and working to reduce uptake and range anxiety for EV's for the community. We need to continue to work in partnership with the community towards our target of Net Zero emissions. "

Michael Regan and Sarah Baker are running in the Frenchs Forest Ward this election. Watch the videos below to learn how they will drive down emissions.