Federal budget is a bust for EVs

The Federal Budget is a bust of EVs, with last night’s news making scant mention of electric vehicles, subsidies or infrastructure to aid in the take-up of low- and zero-emission transport.

So far we’ve identified absolutely no funding in the budget for electric vehicles, with the Federal Government seemingly happy to rely on the individual state’s scatter-gun approach to encouraging or taxing EVs.

Instead, the Morrison Government has allocated a total $1.6 billion over the next 10 years to green hydrogen production and carbon capture technology, with the pundits predictions that electric vehicles would be supported proved incorrect overnight.

“Our budget will provide reliable, secure and affordable energy to all Australians and increase investment in technology solutions to reduce emissions in a way that supports jobs and economic growth,” says Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor.

The news that the budget is a bust of EVs means Australian electric vehicle owners – and the broader auto industry – will need to rely wildly different levels of state support, with Victoria balancing an incoming road-user tax with a raft of incentives.

Premier Daniel Andrews has set a target to make half of all vehicles zero emissions by 2030, as Victoria announces a $3k EV subsidy – the centrepiece of a $100m package that will see it leading the charge to a zero-emissions future. The Victorian Government says the package will both encourage the uptake of EVs and improve charging infrastructure across Victoria, promising the moves “will encourage more drivers to consider purchasing a zero-emissions vehicle”.

NSW has begun flagging details of its own budget, which will include its own incentives for EV uptake,

The NSW government has flagged incentives on electric vehicles and all but discounted road user taxes on EVs for years, wit Transport Minister Andrew Constance highlighting waiving stamp duty and allowing access to transit lanes for drivers of EVs.