PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The federal government has opened the second round of its newly expanded A$250-million Future Fuels Fund to support uptake of low and zero emissions vehicles in commercial fleets.

Businesses will be able to apply for grants under the second round of the Future Fuels Fund to support the uptake of low and zero-emissions vehicles over the next four years.

Up to A$127.9-million will be available to support the integration of electric vehicle (EV) technologies into both light and heavy vehicle fleets, as well as to support the commercialisation of hydrogen as a transport fuel in fleets. 

The programme will be managed by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.

The federal government has committed A$2.1-billion through the Future Fuels and Vehicles strategy, to support industry in the uptake of low and zero-emissions vehicles. The strategy identified commercial fleets as a priority area for support.

Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor says the programme will help Australian fleet operators shift to future fuel technologies by co-investing in charging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. 

“The government backs businesses making decisions to switch to future fuel technologies where it makes sense for their fleets. Through co-funding the essential enabling infrastructure, such as charging stations or even electrical upgrades to three-phase power, we will ensure Australian business can embrace technologies that will help to both save on their operation costs and reduce emissions,” Taylor said.

“Including hydrogen refuelling as a priority area will help accelerate the decarbonisation of heavy and long-distance vehicle fleets where battery EVs may not be a viable option. This fleets-first approach will also create a larger market for second-hand vehicles, which will improve affordability and accessibility for other consumers.”

The Future Fuels and Vehicles Strategy was released in November 2021 and expanded the Future Fuels Fund to A$250-million. Future funding will target public charging infrastructure, public hydrogen refuelling stations, and private household smart charger installations.

The expanded fund is expected to result in more than A$500-million of private and public co-investment, result in around 84% of the Australian population having access to convenient fast public charging and create more than 2 600 new jobs.