Australia’s Greens party want free rego for EVs
If you own a Nissan LEAF, BMW i3 or i8, or Tesla Model S, you might want to throw your support behind the Greens on July 2.
In a push to increase Australia’s uptake of electric vehicle ownership and improved CO2 footprint, the Australian Greens have proposed incentives to EV owners like free registration for the first five years, $151 million in grants to local and state governments plus carpark operators to install more charging infrastructure, increasing Luxury Car Tax on fossil-fuelled cars over $100,000, $50 million in grants to support government and non-government bodies to close the gap between EVs and ICEs (internal combustion engines).
They would also like to see organisations involved in EV manufacturing incorporated into the government’s Automotive Transformation Scheme to promote jobs and skill development in the EV industry. THe overall aim in their proposal is to see 31,000 additional electric cars and 330 more charging points on Aussie roads by 2021 – in the next five years.
According to the Department of Environment, Australia’s transport sector accounts for over 17% of our greenhouse gas emissions. The Greens’ proposal indicates an EV subsidy to take $15,000 off the cost of electric cars would help get 3500 new EVs on the road, and the 17% increase on Luxury Car Tax from 33% to 50% would raise $280 million to offset the loss of revenue from EV registration.
The Greens’ proposal also draws on the Bloomberg New Energy Finance report suggesting by 2040 over 40 million electric cars will be sold globally, making up %35 of new car sales, and their proposal would help Australia bolster its role in the EV industry, creating skills and employment across the board.
