Australia’s Cars Are Cleaner But Still Dirtier Than Europe’s: New Report Warns of Long Road to Low-Emission Fleets
Australia’s vehicle fleet is getting cleaner, but new data shows the country still trails far behind global leaders on emissions and electric car uptake, leaving policymakers and fleets under pressure to accelerate the transition.
Australia’s progress and the global gap
Australia has recorded some of its strongest year-on-year cuts in light-vehicle emissions in more than two decades, helped by rising sales of electric and hybrid models and more efficient conventional engines.
Yet new passenger vehicles sold here still emit about 35 per cent more carbon dioxide on average than comparable cars in Europe, reflecting a long-standing preference for larger vehicles and slower adoption of low-emission technology.
EV uptake rising, but leaders pull away
Battery electric vehicles made up around 13 per cent of new registrations in 2024, a sharp jump that now places Australia ahead of markets such as Japan and the United States on this measure.
However, leading regions like Europe and China are moving faster, with EVs accounting for more than a fifth of new sales in Europe and close to half in China, widening the gap in overall fleet emissions despite Australia’s recent gains.
Old and big vehicles slow down change
The National Transport Commission highlights that light vehicles stay on Australian roads for close to 20 years on average, meaning older, higher-emitting cars continue to shape national emissions long after cleaner options are available.
Australia’s strong appetite for utes and SUVs also keeps emissions higher, as increased vehicle mass and size offset some of the efficiency improvements seen across these segments.
What it means for fleets and policy
For fleet operators, the findings underscore the importance of both choosing lower-emission vehicles and shortening replacement cycles so that cleaner models flow into the national fleet more quickly and the worst emitters are retired sooner.
Policy experts say the country’s leading on transport decarbonisation tend to combine consistent incentives, strong fuel-efficiency standards and reliable supply of low- and zero-emission vehicles, rather than relying on a single measure.
The road ahead for Australia
The latest analysis concludes that Australia is moving in the right direction but at a pace still short of what is needed to match international benchmarks and meet long-term climate goals.
Closing the gap will require sustained EV uptake, faster fleet turnover and wider access to efficient vehicles in every segment, turning today’s encouraging trends into structural change across the transport system.
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