Statistically speaking, it is a safe bet that you said ‘yes’ to that question. A staggering 92% of those asked in a recent online poll believed that EV owners should be contributing to the infrastructure of Australian roads.
CPA Australia managed to get the opinions of over 1000 people to determine the general view of this matter and feel confident in stating that many Australians believe that it is the duty of everyone who uses the roads to pay for the maintenance and building of them. It should not matter what is under the bonnet of the car that drives these roads.
Looking at current events, we believe that there are a significant number of people out there who do not wish to be at the mercy of rising oil prices and might be considering an EV as their next purchase.
There might be a swift change in Australia as consumers adopt these changes and it is forward thinking to ensure that the government transfers the cost burden of maintaining roads to those that drive EV vehicles as well as those with traditional ones.
In fact, the change might already be coming, with plug-in electric vehicle purchases tripling last year alone, from 6,900 in 2020 up to 20,665 in 2021.
As incentives start to come thick and fast from states all over the country, this number will only swell in years to come. The Queensland government was the latest to announce incentives that included a $10million package for charging infrastructure and a $3,000 EV purchase incentive.
The $55 million deal is designed to encourage this shift away from fossil fuel consumption and into a future that is more in line with the current demands both globally and nationally.
Although there have been concerns expressed about the impact a levy could have on economic opportunities for EV sales, we beg to differ. The overwhelmingly positive response from the public, acknowledging that everyone is responsible for the upkeep of the roads is a good sign that we are moving in the right direction.
It is now a matter for the Federal Government to address and we here at YBM can only hope that it becomes a topic of conversation sooner rather than later.
Please contact us today at our Orange office on 02 6362 1533 or our Molong office on 02 6366 8049