Australia is crazy like this

class=”sc-97fd9fa8-0 jNFKxv”>

Kangaroos, the coast and the countryside: this is what we associate with Australia. Unbelievable but true – there are twice as many kangaroos as people in the country. The second number is about 26 million and they drive over 20 million amortized cars. This puts Australia tenth in the world in terms of car density per capita.

This fact did not help the Australian auto industry. Until 2014, the state subsidized domestic automobile production. When the Australian government lifted these subsidies, first Toyota, then Ford, and finally the Australian brand and General Motors subsidiary Holden ceased production. At the end of 2020, GM even dissolved the Holden brand. This means that the fifth continent is no longer home to any automakers.

Strange Rules

With over 800,000 kilometers of Australian road network, it is recommended to keep your attention on the subject. Because if you forget your car key in the car, you will get a high fine. You will also be fined if you carry straw in your trunk or stick your arm out the window while driving. And Australia’s penalties are insane: If you drive nine kilometers per hour too fast, you can expect a hefty fine of up to 200 francs.

The Stromer? No thanks!

SUVs and pickups are at the top of the sales lists. Last year’s best-selling car was the Toyota HiLux (Australian spelling): with more than 64,000 sales, it was Australia’s most popular pick-up for the seventh time. This is followed by Ford Ranger, Toyota RAV4 and Mitsubishi Triton. All-powerful off-road vehicles with internal combustion or hybrid engines.

Almost 72 percent of the cars used have gasoline engines and more than 26 percent diesel engines. While many more electric vehicles were sold at a low price last year, 2 percent electric cars play almost no role in Australia. The charging infrastructure is accordingly few and far between. With just 3,600 charging points, the world’s sixth largest country has half as many charging options as little Switzerland. Most are in the Sydney and Melbourne metropolitan areas. That has to change: the government has spoken about 46 million francs for a financing program. In the first step, 403 fast charging stations will be built for CHF 15.6 million.

Maintenance instead of innovation

A road renovation must be done before the electrical revolution swept Australia. Well-known road trains (German: Strassenzüge) carry 95 percent of road goods, but they also weigh many tons and create a corresponding load on the roads. Additionally, regular natural disasters devastate and flood Australia’s roads.

While Australia is investing specifically in eco-friendly transport, the state has been rather reticent about its dilapidated paved roads. A road maintenance repairing more than 800,000 kilometers of road damage? None! Faulty and closed roads can lead to less traffic, reducing CO₂ emissions. After all, the Australian government is investing in flood protection to prevent future road damage. In fact, Australia drives 21st century cars on the roads of the 1950s.

Source: Blick