Electric car promise just in time for Batman

MOTORISTS would only be able to buy electric cars from 2030 under a Greens plan for Australia to match the United Kingdom and ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles.

The new policy, to be announced today, would see GST, stamp and registration duties and import tariffs scrapped from the sale of new electric cars, reducing their price by up to 20 per cent.

The Greens also want motorists who buy electric vehicles to get free registration for three years, saving as much as $3000.

The radical plan – which matches similar policies in France, India, Norway and the Netherlands – has been unveiled by the Greens ahead of this weekend’s by-election in Batman, in Melbourne’s north, where their candidate Alex Bhathal is the narrow favourite to win.

To speed up the transition to electric cars, the Greens are also proposing a $151 million grants program to build more than 3000 fast-charging stations across Australia.

The hi-tech stations would provide electric cars with 80 per cent of their full power capacity in 15 to 30 minutes.

Greens transport spokeswoman Janet Rice said action was needed to stop Australia becoming a “dumping ground for the most polluting vehicles as the rest of the world moves on”.

“The electric vehicle revolution is unstoppable and Australians should have the opportunity to embrace this global shift to electric vehicles,” the senator said.

She said the Greens plan would benefit the environment while making electric vehicles more affordable.

Greens climate change spokesman Adam Bandt said the phase-out of petrol and diesel cars – which are usually on the road for up to 20 years – would help Australia meet its emissions reduction commitments.