The state government wants half of all new cars sold in Victoria to be zero-emission vehicles by 2030 and is offering subsidies of up to $ 3,000 to help start ownership.
Important points:
- There will be 20,000 subsidies for the purchase of new electric cars under $ 69,000
- New charging stations are being built and the government will expand its fleet of electric vehicles
- The government has been criticized for inconsistent policies as a new road tax on electric vehicles has also been introduced
The Andrews government will provide 20,000 subsidies of up to $ 3,000 for new electric vehicle purchases under $ 69,000 as part of a $ 100 million electric vehicle use plan.
The first 4,000 grants will be available starting Sunday.
“When people get an electric vehicle, they start saving significant dollars on their bills,” Climate Change Minister Lily D ‘Ambrosio told ABC.
“It’s almost as much as $ 1,600 in fuel and maintenance savings each year, so we want to make it easier for Victorians.”
As part of the package, the state will also spend $ 19 million on new charging stations and $ 10 million on adding 400 cars to the state’s EV fleet over the next two years.
The government will set up an expert advisory board to advise them on the policies and infrastructure needed to meet the 50 percent target by 2030.
“But that is very, very ambitious [a plan] We are absolutely determined to achieve this, ”said Ms D’Ambrosio.
This is the cheapest all-electric car in the Australian market, priced at nearly $ 44,000. (
ABC News: Kristian Silva
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Victoria has fewer than 7,000 electric vehicles and only 20,000 are allowed on Australian roads.
The 2030 target and the subsidies are part of the Andrews administration’s strategy for Victoria to have zero net emissions by 2050. The intermediate targets for 2025 and 2030 will be announced on Sunday.
Subsidies make EV cars a “viable alternative”.
Last year, the government failed to meet its own deadlines for setting preliminary emissions reduction targets for 2025 and 2030.
Part of the Intermediate Objective Policy is “Sector Promises”: strategies and payments designed to help industries – including agriculture and transport – move towards zero emissions.
The new electric car grant is part of the transport sector’s promise. Transport is the second largest emitter after energy.
Electric vehicle adoption in Australia has been slow compared to other industrialized nations, according to the Electric Vehicle Council, due to a lack of globally available incentives, including subsidies.
The cheapest electric vehicle on the market still costs more than $ 44,000.
Subsidies of up to $ 15,000 are available in some countries.
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The council also said Australia is lagging far behind other nations as it does not have strict fuel efficiency standards for cars.
Rod Clutterbuck, a pensioner in Wodonga, has been looking for an electric vehicle for some time to help “save the planet”.
He said subsidies would help others see electric vehicles as a viable alternative.
“We asked ourselves why we didn’t have one [subsidy] in Australia. Now it sounds like we’re on the way to a better system, ”Clutterbuck said.
Victoria popped for new road tax
The announcement of the Victorian subsidy followed a coalition of automotive companies and the environment groups beating the Andrews government for “the world’s worst electric vehicle policy” for a new vehicle tax on electric vehicles.
The new fee is 2.5 cents / km for electric and other zero-emission vehicles, including hydrogen vehicles, and 2.0 cents / km for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
The state argues that the tax is a contribution to the road network by an electric vehicle user, paid for by other motorists through fuel consumption tax.
Ben Warren, national manager for electrification and mobility at Nissan, said the subsidy and targets for 2030 are a good “first step” in encouraging people to switch to electric vehicles.
The plan provides $ 19 million to build new charging stations across the state.
ABC: Ben Deacon
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“The road toll challenge is in itself a penalty for electric vehicle owners and drivers,” Warren said.
“But if you offset that with incentives and other measures, it will at least return to a neutral starting point.”
Opposition MP Georgie Crozier accused the government of developing inconsistent policies on the ground.
“They both tax you and give you a discount,” she said.
“It just goes to show that the government has really misjudged this policy again. It’s another demonstration of politics on the run.”
Treasurer Tim Pallas previously said that the revenue from the new fee would be “more than offset” by measures to encourage the use of electric cars, such as the creation of new charging stations.
The road toll was expected to be around $ 30 million per year, with $ 45 million earmarked for incentives for electric vehicles in the state budget.
Mr Pallas said the subsidy would “encourage more drivers to consider buying a zero-emission vehicle – and ensure that Victoria leads the way in zero-emission vehicle adoption”.
