Treasurers Back EV Surge for Australia's Clean Transport

The Electric Vehicle Council congratulates Treasurers across the country for agreeing that future road user charges "should be designed to not deter the continued take-up of electric vehicles." This commitment gives long-needed certainty and shows that EV adoption remains a national priority. It enables fair, future-focused tax reform that supports, rather than hinders, Australia's shift to cleaner, cheaper transport. The position sends a strong market signal to manufacturers, investors, and consumers: Australia is backing EV growth. Global markets with strong EV uptake consistently pair tax reform with support for cleaner transport and Australia is now aligning with that direction. The EVC has worked closely with governments on this issue and welcomes this clear leadership from Treasurers across jurisdictions. We commend the Treasurers for their leadership and look forward to working with them to ensure all future road-user charges support clean, affordable, and mainstream EV adoption across Australia. Electric Vehicle Council CEO Julie Delvecchio said: "This confirms that EV adoption is a national priority for Treasurers across the country and must be supported through sensible, future-focused reform. "This position sends a strong, positive signal to manufacturers, investors, and consumers that Australia is backing the growth of electric transport. "An Australian fleet made up of energy-efficient vehicles powered by low-cost, home-grown energy just makes sense. "It's important that a road user charge for cars is well-designed and properly-timed; that means one charge must apply to all cars and it must only be introduced when 30 per cent of all new car sales are battery electric. "We caution against a road user charge trial that targets electric trucks and other heavy vehicles. Such a road user charge at such an early stage of the transition would stall the shift to clean freight, drive up trucking costs, and set back Australia's emissions goals. "More operators are recognising the value of electric heavy vehicles, but the transition is only just beginning. Electric trucks already face the commercial obstacle of higher sticker prices - adding a tax on top will remove all the advantages that come from a lifetime of fuel savings."