The Australian EV sector is dismayed by prime minister Scott Morrison’s announcement of yet another taxpayer subsidy for oil, while the EV industry remains ignored, says the Electric Vehicle Council.
It points out the $6 billion for oil subsidies, zero for EV subsidies speak volumes about Morrison’s priorities.
He has announced two federal government grants of $125 million to go to Australia’s two oil refineries. The announcement comes off the back a $2.4b oil refinery package in May 2021, and a fuel excise cut of around $3b.
Meanwhile, the federal government has announced no competent plan or strategy for the EV sector, the council explains.
“Australia is capable of producing abundant clean electricity and that electricity could be powering our trucks and cars. But we have a prime minister who’s more interested in subsiding foreign oil and that’s tragic,” says EVC chief executive Behyad Jafari.
“It’s incredible that an Australian Government in 2022 could be spending six billion dollars propping up oil, while not even bothering to construct a competent plan for the electrification of Australia’s fleet.
“Everyone now knows that the future of Australian transport is electric. We should be doing everything possible to rapidly electrify not just consumer vehicles, but trucks and commercial fleets.
“But instead of moving us toward the future, the Morrison Government is choosing to spend six billion dollars in taxpayer money on propping up the failing oil industry. It’s frankly dismaying for everyone who understands where the world is headed.”
Jafari says that If the EV industry was allocated even a fraction of the money spent on oil subsidies it could be cleaning city air, lowering carbon emissions, and breaking Australia’s dependence on foreign oil.
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