Electronic vehicles issue paper

PIAC responded to the Australian Energy Market Commission’s (AEMC) issues paper on electric vehicles (EVs) as part of its retail energy competition review.

PIAC does not consider the AEMC has framed issue paper questions in a way that reflects the intent of the review: to assess whether retailers are innovating to meet customer preferences for new technologies.

We propose alternative high-level questions for the review:

• What retail offers to end-users are needed to encourage the efficient uptake and integration of electric vehicles in the NEM?
• What are retailers currently doing to achieve this?
• What are retailers currently not doing but should be doing to achieve this? Why?

We highlight widespread uptake of EVs will require changes to consumer protections and recommend consumer protections are offered proportional to the potential harm a consumer may face should something go wrong with the product or service. 

PIAC outlines changing roles and opportunities for retailers as EVs become more widely used and the importance of cost-reflective network tariffs in encouraging retail innovation around EVs.