Driving forward the mass market adoption of low carbon vehicles in Australia
Low Carbon Vehicles Australia was created in July 2015. The organisation was created by industry publication, The Manufacturer, against the background of the need for a specific representative body for low carbon vehicles in Australia that was inclusive of all major stakeholders.
Visit the Low Carbon Vehicles Australia Website
The current thinking is that the primary role of the organisation will be to determine what is required for the mass market adoption of Low Carbon Vehicles in Australia, including a focus on infrastructure needs. Specifically, a committee will be established to identify the information and research needed to gather financial support for the industry and will develop a strategy and a timetable for this to be completed by subsequently established topic-based sub committees.
The Federal Government has given in principle support to this initiative and will engage with the committee following its creation. The Government has however made it clear that it has a strong preference for a market driven approach for this industry.
We have outlined a brief three stage plan for the operation of Low Carbon Vehicles Australia which is detailed below.
Why The Manufacturer?
The Manufacturer has no vested interest in any existing low carbon vehicle technology or infrastructure and therefore has a unique ability to independently coordinate this project and assist the committee and its members.
Ensuring fairness across the steering and committee group will be a priority for LCVAUS and that is why formalised protections will be developed early on – see IP Protections for Members below.
The Manufacturer brings experience in developing similar industry bodies in the UK, including The Manufacturing Services Thought Leadership Network (www.mstln.com) and The Automation Advisory Board Thought Leadership Network (www.aabtln.com).
The Thought Leadership Networks are a front end welcome website and a backend professional social network and forum for online networking and communicating. The Manufacturer will produce the equivalent network for LCVAUS (www.lcvaus.com), which will include a homepage for the group and include within it the mechanisms to manage the committee and allow for inclusion of the wider LCV community.
IP Protections for Members
Due to the burgeoning status of the LCV industry it is important that the individual and corporate IP of committee group members be protected. Our proposal is:
- Members of the committee should sign a brief confidentiality agreement which provides that any confidential information disclosed by any member will only be used only for the purposes of the committee.
- Members should adopt strategies which will minimise any risks of IP ownership disputes but also achieve the goals of the steering group/committee.
- Any significant confidential information should be clearly identified and preferably marked confidential.
- Any significant confidential information should be provided in summary form.
- Minutes and recordings of each committee meeting and/or teleconference will be kept, including any documents (incl. electronic) tabled.
Commitment
Our steering group and committee members will not receive compensation. The committee will meet three to four times each year and communicate on a regular basis through the LCVAUS network and via email and phone.
This application is for a 1 year term from 1 September 2015 to 31 August 2016. If you decide that being a committee member is a commitment you would like to make, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Contact
If you would like to be involved or know of any other individuals that we should consider inviting to be involved, we would greatly appreciate the referral. If you have any questions or need clarification, please contact Tim Brown on (07) 3040 7379 or by email at [email protected].
Plan for LCVAUS
It is intended that Low Carbon Vehicles Australia will move through a three stage development process.
Stage 1:
Invitations provided to key stakeholders to join the Low Carbon Vehicles Committee and the development of the steering group to formulate initial plans, desired outcomes, and expectations.
Stage 2:
Commencement of increased committee responsibilities and launch of the website, online networking and forum platform – www.lcvaus.com.
Primary tasks of the committee will include:
- Identification of required research areas and likely sub-committee/departments
- Collation of research focused on infrastructure technology and requirements – using overseas comparisons
- Development of economic forecasts in collaboration with research bodies with a focus on producing relevant material to develop investor interest
- Monitor R&D developments in the area via research sub committee
- Encourage community engagement around the online network through use of dedicated online concierge roles
- Committee will have separated departmental management roles eg.
- Codes and standards – technical requirements
- Roadmap – comparing international examples
- Acceptance of liability – duty of care
- Financial estimates and economic forecasts
- R&D developments
- Etc
- Education and public awareness – which will take part both in stage 2 and increase in stage 3.
Stage 3:
While the operation of Stage 2 continues indefinitely, stage 3 would branch off to develop a commercial arm of the organisation.
The intention is to create government (federal, state and local) and business supported partnerships for infrastructure and technology development and application.
And if an overall body is required to manage the regional and national rollout, then a consortium could be developed to manage the entire process and assist to raise the necessary capital to proceed with rollout of the strategy identified by the LCVAUS committee.
