The federal fleet of more than 90 diesel BMW 6 Series GTs will reportedly be replaced by electric vehicles within 18 months.
BMW diesel cars used by the Federal Government are set to be replaced by electric vehicles within the next 18 months, according to an exclusive report by The Canberra Times.
According to the newspaper in the nation’s capital, the three-year leases on BMW 6 Series GT large cars will start to expire from February 2023, and electric cars are reportedly under consideration to replace the current BMW fleet.
Known as Comcar, the Australian Government’s Commonwealth vehicle fleet is managed by the Department of Finance, consisting of 97 BMW 620d GTs, 45 Toyota Camry hybrids, 14 Kia Carnivals and two Toyota HiAce vans.
The four-cylinder turbo-diesel BMW 620d GT coupes were selected by Comcar to replace the V8-powered Holden Caprice limousine in 2020, just months before BMW axed the unusual model in Australia.
Comcar’s initial assessment for a Holden Caprice replacement consisted of 18 cars, including the BMW 5 Series sedan, Hyundai Genesis sedan, Mercedes E-Class sedan, BMW X5 SUV and Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV, according to the report in The Canberra Times.
Addressing the National Press Club in June 2022, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, announced the Federal Government would “convert the Commonwealth fleet to 75 per cent (zero) emissions vehicles” by 2025.
This mandate rules out the current diesel-powered BMWs and Toyota Camry hybrids.
Mr Bowen said the electric Comcar fleet would eventually end up on the used-car market for private buyers, as is the case with most ex-government vehicles.
“The Commonwealth turns over its cars every three years,” Mr Bowen told the National Press Club in June.
“That leads into the second-hand market. At the moment you can’t buy a second-hand electric car in Australia and, as we all know, if you really want an affordable car it’s almost certainly a second-hand car.
“When the Commonwealth fleet starts to roll through and we have the Commonwealth disposing of its electric vehicles in three years after they’ve been purchased, you start to get [EV cars into] the second-hand market.”
A search on Australian used-car websites shows more than 700 used electric cars for sale nationally, although a number are advertised with higher prices than they cost when new.
Comcar has reportedly already begun searching for an electric replacement to the BMW 6 Series and Toyota Camrys, according to The Canberra Times.
In early 2021, Comcar is said to have instigated a two-year trial to evaluate the viability of running its fleet without petrol or diesel-powered vehicles, taking delivery of two electric cars – a Hyundai Ioniq and Tesla Model 3, the newspaper reported.
While the Tesla Model 3 is Australia’s best-selling electric car, the Hyundai Ioniq was axed locally in May as it approached the end of production globally.
A Department of Finance spokesperson told Drive the Tesla Model 3 is the only electric car in Comcar’s fleet.
For now, the electric-car push reportedly does not include the Prime Minister’s BMW 7 Series sedan, which is a special armoured model.
Given the extra weight of the bomb-proof and bullet-proof vehicle, it is unclear when heavy electric-vehicle technology will be applied to dignitary vehicles.
The post BMW Comcars to be replaced by electric vehicles – report appeared first on Drive.