Australia's Road User Charge for EVs: Timing and Fairness

0:00Australia's push for a new road user charge on all vehicles, including electric ones, is hitting some roadblocks. Transport Minister Catherine King just cast doubt on rolling it out now, saying the timing might not be right as electric vehicle sales boom. This charge would replace the shrinking fuel excise from petrol and diesel taxes. Treasurer Jim Chalmers called it an idea whose time had come last year, but successive governments have kicked it around without landing it. The plan aims to fund roads fairly as more drivers switch to electric cars that don't pay fuel taxes. King stressed they want to keep boosting electric vehicle uptake without adding hurdles, especially with Parliament unlikely to pass it soon. The electric vehicle council backs a fair charge, but only after electric cars hit a third of new sales. Meanwhile, states like New South Wales are going solo, with their own charge starting July next year, while Western Australia proposes one. 2. Victoria's got shot down by the high court. Electric vehicle sales surged to nearly 15% of new cars last month, double from before,

1:04fueled by worries over petrol shortages. A popular French benefits tax exemption for company electric vehicles is under review after costing 10 times the expected budget, but King says it's driving the shift to cleaner rides. As departments keep modeling options, the balance between fair road funding and green momentum hangs in play. Stay informed with Sydney News today, AI-powered updates, I'm Corey with the story.