On Sale Now!
Australia will launch its own version of the CARS or Cash for Clunkers scheme if the current Labor government stays in power.
The $2000 rebate for people trading in a pre-1995 bomb for a ‘green’ new car should see about 200,000 old cars and a predicted one million tonnes of CO2 emissions struck from the southern island. The government will also introduce stricter compulsory pollution standards for new cars from 2015 as part of Labor’s new climate policy.
The $394 million cleaner car rebate will continue for four years from January 1, 2011 to the end of 2014.
It is similar to US President Barack Obama’s 2009 “cash for clunkers” policy, though that was also aimed at helping the Big Three though the GFC.
However, the only cars approved for the rebate are the Toyota Camry Hybrid, Holden Cruze, Hyundai Getz, Ford Falcon EcoBoost, Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, and the Mitsubishi Lancer.
The slow-selling Toyota Camry hybrid, built with a $35 million taxpayer subsidy, is the only locally-built car on the list.
Costs will see the government’s solar and carbon capture and storage flagship programs and the renewable energy bonus scheme cut from the budget.
SO rather than serve the short-term interests of several strong players from the auto industry at the expense of other sectors, and other green programs, it seems the Aussie Cash for Clunkers idea of paying people to buy new cars may be just about the vote…
Click Here