The Australian electric vehicle sector is dismayed by Scott Morrison’s announcement of yet another taxpayer subsidy for oil, while the EV industry remains ignored.
The Prime Minster today announced two federal government grants of $125 million will go to Australia’s two oil refineries. The announcement comes off the back a $2.4bn oil refinery package in May 2021, and a fuel excise cut of around $3bn.
Meanwhile the federal government has announced no competent plan or strategy for the electric vehicle sector.
“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,” said Electric Vehicle Council 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.
“If the EV industry was allocated even a fraction of the money spent on oil subsidies we could be cleaning our city air, lowering our carbon emissions, and breaking our dependence on foreign oil.”