BRISBANE, AAP – Queenslanders will be offered a $3000 subsidy if they buy an electric vehicle with a purchase price of less than $58,000 over the next three years.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the policy, which will cost the government $15 million a year, on Wednesday morning.
“This will help Queenslanders waiting for electric vehicles to become more accessible and affordable so they can make the switch,” she said in a statement.
“This announcement is a key part of our Zero Emission Vehicle Strategy: the goal is to reduce our emissions and reduce the impact of climate change.”
The $58,000 cap on the purchase price means the subsidy will only be available for buyers of six models: Hyundai’s Ioniq and Kona model, Nissan’s Leaf, MG’s ZS Essence and BYD’s new Atto models.
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Ms Palaszczuk said the government would also commit $10 million to jointly funding charging stations with local governments and companies.
The Sunshine State has long had one of the stingiest EV purchase incentives of any state or territory, offering buyers registration and stamp duty savings of about $350 over five years.
NSW, South Australia and Victoria already offer $3000 rebates for EV purchases.
Advocacy group Solar Citizens welcomed the subsidy because it would slash emissions and reduce the cost of living amid high fuel prices.
“The $3000 rebate is a practical step to reduce the cost of electric vehicles and puts Queensland on the same page as states like NSW and South Australia that are encouraging the uptake of cleaner cars,” strategist Stephanie Gray said.
However, she said the high purchase prices of many EV models remained a barrier for many people, so more government support and incentives were needed.
She said incentives for auto makers to build EVs locally and commitments to electric public transport would help.
“There’s plenty more that both states and the federal government can do to slash the upfront cost of cleaner electric cars so that Australians can cash in on the fuel savings,” Ms Gray said.
A recent Australia Institute poll of 2600 Australians showed 71 per cent support of subsidies for EV purchases, while 74 per cent said the government should pay for a network of charging stations.
The Climate of the Nation poll found 64 per cent of respondents want all new cars sold in Australia to be required to be zero emissions by 2035.
