According to an exclusive report by the German government, the BMW diesel cars used by the federal government are to be replaced by electric vehicles within the next 18 months The Canberra Times.

According to the newspaper in the country’s capital, three-year leases for large BMW 6 Series GT cars expire from February 2023, and electric cars are reportedly being considered as a replacement for the current BMW fleet.

The Australian government’s Commonwealth vehicle fleet known as Comcar is managed by the Treasury and consists of 97 BMW 620d GTs, 45 Toyota Camry hybrids, 14 Kia ​​Carnivals and two Toyota HiAce vans.

Comcar’s initial review 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 The Canberra Times.

Climate Change and Energy Secretary Chris Bowen announced to the National Press Club in June 2022 that the federal government would “transform the Commonwealth fleet to 75 percent (zero) zero-emission vehicles by 2025.”

This mandate excludes the current diesel-powered BMWs and Toyota Camry hybrids.

Mr Bowen said the Comcar electric fleet would eventually end up in the used car market for private buyers, as is the case with most ex-government vehicles.

“The Commonwealth hands over its cars every three years,” Mr Bowen told the National Press Club in June.

“That leads to the used car market. You can’t buy a used electric car in Australia at the moment, and as we all know, if you really want an affordable car, it’s almost certainly a used car.

“When the Commonwealth fleet starts to come through and we get the Commonwealth to dispose of their electric vehicles three years after purchase, you start getting [EV cars into] the second-hand market.”

A search of Australian used car websites reveals that there are more than 700 used electric cars for sale nationwide, although some are advertised at higher prices than they cost new.

Comcar has reportedly already started searching for an electric replacement for the BMW 6 Series and Toyota Camrys The Canberra Times.

In early 2021, Comcar is said to have launched a two-year trial to assess the viability of operating its fleet without petrol or diesel-powered vehicles and received two electric cars — a Hyundai Ioniq and a Tesla Model 3 — the newspaper reported.

While the Tesla Model 3 is Australia’s best-selling electric car, the Hyundai Ioniq was canceled locally in May as it neared the end of global production.

This was announced by a spokesman for the Ministry of Finance journey The Tesla Model 3 is the only electric car in Comcar’s fleet.

Given the added weight of the bomb and bulletproof vehicle, it’s unclear when heavy electric vehicle technology will be applied to dignitaries.