IF one of the world’s leading manufacturers of electric and hybrid vehicles is heavily investing resources towards low-emission biofuels, then Australia’s politicians ought to follow, Katter’s Australian Party MP Bob Katter says.

Mr Katter and the KAP have long advocated for the use of ethanol in Australia, arguing the benefits of lower emissions and cheaper, cleaner fuel by making the switch.

Mr Katter said despite a lack of support and vision from successive governments “we now have car manufacturers and oil companies understanding the huge benefits that ethanol can bring.”

“I am screaming in frustration, over the last 15 years I have introduced bill after bill into the Federal Parliament to get Australia using ethanol as a main fuel source – saving our environment, our sugar industry and our hip pocket.

“I am informed that we only need 10ha of sugar cane to produce 10,000L of fuel – cheap, reliable, renewable fuel is in our grasp.”

Mr Katter welcomed recent news of Toyota and ExxonMobil joining forces to “test a biofuel that could cut tailpipe emissions by up to 75 per cent^[1].”

Toyota, a leader in electric vehicles, has reported its interest in biofuels was motivated by ensuring all customers could be catered for and that “there needed to be multiple solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of transportation^[2],” not just a complete switch to EVs.

Mr Katter said if a car manufacturer which had dominated the market considered biofuels a necessary requirement, then Australian governments needed to take note.

“Australian politicians, in Canberra particularly have done absolutely nothing about reducing the emissions from vehicles and the deaths in the cities from carcinogens in emissions,” Mr Katter said.

“If two of the world’s largest companies are willing to stick their necks out and invest in biofuels, we must act and get on the front foot and begin converting our sugar mills to produce ethanol and legislate a mandatory uptake of biofuels.

“Instead, we’re subsidising and rushing the use of EVs. This is at a time we’re shutting down our baseload power – our coal-fired power stations – and at a time where we’re told the cost of electricity will continue to rise and there may be shortfalls.

“So with no electricity, we are being encouraged to switch to EVs.

“Yet we’ve got the resources for biofuels, we just need a government that’s willing to act.”

^[1]How Toyota is trying to save the internal-combustion engine | The Australian

^[2]Toyota and ExxonMobil to develop eco fuels – Drive