Australian government changes tack on Comcar EVs

News website The Driven, which focuses on zero-emissions transport in Australia, reports that electric cars are being trialled for the federal government’s Comcar fleet.

Comcar, the arm of the government’s finance department that provides car-with-driver transport services for officials, is reputedly testing a Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq Electric. 

The two-year trials will ascertain whether electric cars are viable replacements for conventional and hybrid alternatives – and a keen eye will presumably be on the potential logistical issues, such as range and charging, as well as costs involved.

Fully electric vehicles, however, were overlooked for 2019 trials that ultimately resulted in the ageing 142-strong fleet of leased Holden Caprices being replaced by diesel BMW 6 Series GTs and hybrid Toyota Camrys. 

Consequently, the latest tests involving electric vehicles are a notable about-face – particularly given that no zero-emissions vehicle made it into previous trials at all, and that the aim had been to find clean and efficient solutions.

“The Comcar trial, which has already begun, is at best is a tacit acknowledgement that electric vehicle technology is mature enough for use in the federal fleet, and at worst is an indirect admission that the Coalition’s 2019 attack on electric vehicles was just plain out of line, has been a long time coming,” said The Driven report.