While governments around the world are lowering the cost of electric vehicles, the Victorian Labor Government wants to make them even more expensive with a new tax.

This tax has been called the ‘worst electric vehicle policy in the world’ by industry and environmental advocates, and Victoria is the only place in the world introducing a tax like this.

Transport is Victoria’s fastest growing source of emissions, producing around 20% of the state’s total emissions. This makes transport our second biggest source of emissions after burning coal for energy. While we need to move towards more active and public transport, we also need to move towards electric cars, fast.

But right now, electric car sales in Australia make up 0.7% of new cars, while globally they represent 4.2% of sales and in Europe it is much, much higher. This is exactly the wrong time to put a brake on EV car sales with a new tax. 

To tackle the climate crisis, Victoria needs a plan to help people rapidly shift from polluting petrol cars to cleaner electric vehicles.

The Greens Electric Vehicle Rapid Uptake Plan includes:

• Making electric vehicles affordable with free registration for all electric vehicles and no stamp duty as well as a $10,000 eco-bonus for electric vehicles under $77,565. 
• Investing in the Victorian Government electric vehicle fleet including 3,000 Australian made electric buses and 5,000 electric cars to help grow the second hand market. 
• More charging stations across Victoria, including at every metropolitan and regional train station car park, and making it easier for Victorian renters to install charging stations at home with new ‘Right to Charge’ laws. 

The good news is that many MPs haven’t yet made up their mind on the electric car tax, and the Labor Government doesn’t yet have the votes it needs to pass the tax through the Upper House of the Victorian Parliament. You can help by emailing a cross-bench MP and asking them to vote against this bad tax here.