At last, the Federal Government says a trial all-electric car may have a future in Australia, if its importers allow it to undergo rigorous testing.
The Adelaide importer of the Indian Reva car says it may have to be crushed at the end of the week when its year-long licence expires, because it does not have approval to be driven on local roads.
The federal Roads Minister, Jim Lloyd, says such drastic action might not be necessary.
"You know we’re talking to them at the moment in being able to take the vehicle off their hands and actually let it undergo the full ADR (Australian Design Rules) testing," he said.
"So once and for all we can know whether it will meet the standards.
"If it meets the standards, well then, we can go forward on it, if it doesn’t well then it won’t be on Australian roads."
The Reva, designed and manufactured in India, has been on Indian roads since 2001 and is exported internationally. For the Indian market, the Government offers a generous subsidy to public institutions such as educational institutions, government and public sector organisations, hospitals and for the tourism industry.
Considering Australians dependence on motor vehicles and high national greenhouse gas emissions output, it is reasonable to ask Mr Lloyd why he has not moved more quickly to have the Reva undergo a full ADR. After all, the importer has been pushing for this for over 12 months.