Constance correct: electric vehicles set to deliver huge boost to NSW

Electric Vehicle Council

New South Wales can join the world in capturing the abundant benefits of electric vehicles if it pulls the right levers in the upcoming budget, according to the Electric Vehicle Council.

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance is today reported as saying the state government should not introduce a special EV levy until electric vehicles made up 40 to 50 per cent of the car market, saying “we will be judged… [on who] scales up EVs and improves our air quality and our public health and at the same time delivers for our environment.”
Mr Constance has also today proposed waiving stamp duty, access to transit lanes, and subsidised parking for electric cars.
EVC chief executive Behyad Jafari said Mr Constance was absolutely right and NSW had a historic opportunity.
“At this point in time the public interest is going to be much better served by rapid electric vehicle uptake than by skimming a little extra tax from the few EVs that are already registered,” Mr Jafari said.
“The transition to electric cars will clean our streets of exhaust and noise, lowering health costs, reducing carbon emissions, and helping break the state’s dependence on foreign oil. This will represent billions of dollars in economic benefit.
“There’s a great opportunity for New South Wales to have it all here. Well-targeted subsidies now, as seen elsewhere across the globe, would create a boom in EV sales.
“Then, once the state starts capturing the benefits from fleet electrification, that would be the perfect time to start introducing smart road user charges.”
/Public Release.