Victoria wants electric cars to make up half of sales by 2030 - and it's offering financial incentives to get the EV transition kickstarted

Victoria is ironically taking the lead on the electric vehicle (EV) transition in Australia, with its government not only announcing a bold sales target, but also offering financial incentives to help it along.

Indeed, the state that wants to introduce a world-first road-user charge for EVs from July 1 is also taking the biggest steps towards the future of motoring seen locally to date.

By 2030, the state government wants 50 per cent of Victoria’s new-vehicle sales to be zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs), including battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

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To help get Victoria to that point, the state government is offering more than 20,000 subsidies of up to $3000 for ZEV buyers, 4000 of which are now available, but the catch is the new vehicles purchased must have recommended retail prices of less than $69,000.

As such, only select BEVs on the market are eligible, and these include the MG ZS EV small SUV ($43,990 driveaway), Hyundai Ioniq Electric small hatchback ($48,970 to $53,010 plus on-road costs), Nissan Leaf small hatchback ($49,990 to $60,490 + ORCs), Renault Kangoo ZE small van ($49,990 + ORCs), Mini Cooper SE light hatchback ($55,650 to $62,825 + ORCs), Hyundai Kona Electric small SUV ($62,000 to $66,000 + ORCs) and Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus mid-size sedan ($62,900 + ORCs).

The state government is also spending $19 million on at least 50 new charging stations across Victoria, and it plans to add 400 new EVs to its fleet over the next two years with another $10 million investment.

Commenting on the news, Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) chief executive Tony Weber said: “We have worked closely with the Victorian government to find a holistic approach to increasing the uptake of electric vehicles through specific investments and climate targets.

“However, the FCAI has concerns over the ambitious target of 50 per cent of new-vehicle sales in Victoria being electric vehicles by 2030, warning that governments should focus on CO2 emissions targets rather than mandating specific technologies.”