BMW Criticizes Australia Over Lack Of Electric Car Policies

German automaker BMW has criticized the Australian government for the latter's somewhat lackluster support towards environment-friendly vehicles. BMW's criticism over Australia's policy came in after the car company released its i Performance vehicles in the country.

In a statement acquired by Drive, BMW Australia chief executive officer Marc Werner said, "No more discussions! I call on Mr. Malcolm Turnbull and the federal government to finally action a robust policy to support the introduction of low emission vehicles to the Australian market."

Compared to other markets, Australia lags behind when it comes to low emissions policies. The government is offering incentives, tax deductions and even free charging options in order persuade consumers into buying more environmentally friendly cars. These options, however, are not widely practiced in Australia.

Aside from Australia's lack of green car policies, Mr. Werner has also criticized the country's Luxury Car Tax. In fact, notable car companies like Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Audi have all called to end the blanket tax which some experts cited as one reason why car's cost too much in Australia.

BMW have started to roll out a range of electric and plug-in vehicles in Australia under the company's BMW i brand. The company is concerned that with the lack of incentives being offered in Australia for electric vehicles, it might deter consumers from buying these cars.

According to Motoring, BMW was able to sell more than 100,000 electric cars globally in 2016. During that same year, only 124 units were sold in Australia.

BMW have pointed out to New Zealand's 2016 policy changes as a model for Australia to adopt. In 2016, New Zealand introduced a law that waived Road User Charges for buyers of electric vehicles. On top of this, the New Zealand government have also helped car manufacturers in establishing public charging networks.