Morrison’s Future Fuels Strategy announced this morning is classic Morrison - too little, too late.
 
The transport industry has slammed the do-nothing policy, with the Australian Automobile Association calling it a ‘missed opportunity’ and Electric Vehicle Council CEO Behyad Jafari saying ‘once again, it's a policy that spends a lot of time talking about what the Government won't do as opposed to what the Government will do’.
 
Less than one per cent of new car sales in Australia last year were electric.
 
In the UK they now make up 20 per cent of new sales, and in Norway – 75 per cent.
 
Australian families who have been stung for weeks with petrol prices at almost $2 a litre deserve better than this do-nothing Government.
 
It costs around $90 to fill up an average car today. An electric vehicle is less than $5 to charge, cheaper again if you have solar panels.
 
Before the last election, we saw the Prime Minister bleat about electric vehicles ending the weekend and taking utes off tradies.  
 
Now nearly three years later, Australia still doesn’t have an Electric Vehicle Strategy.
 
We have a ‘Future Fuels’ flop that talks a lot about magic fairy dust making electric vehicles appear in Australia, and no policies to reduce their upfront costs for consumers, the biggest barrier to uptake.
 
It’s the same approach they’ve taken to their alleged climate plan.
 
It’s not just political posturing – it’s neglect that is leaving Australian households and businesses worse off with higher bills.
 
The Government’s policy on electric cars is to continue making consumers pay import taxes on EVs and employers pay fringe benefit taxes on EV’s, despite many petrol vehicles being exempt.
 
The Government is literally making money for their coffers from the neglect of electric vehicle policy.
 
Under the Liberals, there is no discount or incentive to reduce the cost of electric vehicles.
 
Under Labor’s tax cut, the Electric Vehicle Council estimates that a $50, 000 model subject to import tariffs, would be $2,000 cheaper. And if the model is provided through an employer and subject to FBT, an additional $9, 000 would be slashed off the price. 
 
That’s an $11, 000 tax cut to give families and business more choice.
 
In the UK there are 140 different electric vehicle models for sale, but under the awful policy environment in Australia – there are less than 40, and only 14 under $60, 000.
 
Petrol is the biggest contributor to household energy bills, and Morrison’s dishonest politics on this issue has kept electric vehicles out of reach for Australian families and businesses.
 
Economies around the world are scrambling to get their hands on electric vehicles, it’s a race to secure them and bring down household bills and emissions but Australia is coming last again under Morrison.
 
Morrison can photo-op all he likes today, the fact is he still does not have a policy to make upfront costs for electric vehicles cheaper for Aussies.