Victoria first state government to offer EV subsidies
The Victorian Minister for Environment, Energy and Climate Change and Solar Homes, The Honourable Lily D’Ambrosio MP announced the Zero Emissions Vehicle Support Package on Saturday May 1st, 2021.
The scheme allows up to 20,000 EV subsidies to be granted to all new battery EV sales, where the purchase price of the EV is under $69,000 - or the Luxury Car Tax threshold. The first 4000 EVs bought under the scheme will attract a $3000 subsidy, while further EV purchases will attract a lesser amount.
The subsidy is available to all Victorian residents and businesses, and access to the scheme is effective immediately.
The government also announced revised climate targets, including emissions reductions of 30% of 2005 levels by 2025 and 50% by 2030.
The AEVA welcomes the scheme as an antidote to the Victorian Government's planned EV-specific road user charge (RUC) but believes the fairer approach would be to defer any road user charges until EVs make up a sizeable proportion of the vehicle fleet, at which point all licensed vehicles would be liable to the RUC.
Also disappointing was the exclusion of electric scooters and motorcycles under the scheme, as two-wheeled EVs solve more than just the transport emissions problems - they address congestion and parking space too.
More information about the scheme can be found here: