Western Australia’s Electric Vehicle Strategy
Western Australia’s Electric Vehicle Strategy
The Western Australian government has announced its electric vehicle strategy to help prepare for the transition to low and zero-emission electric and hybrid vehicles.
Government incentives
To increase local uptake of electric vehicles, the government will provide a $3,500 rebate from the 10th of May, to the next 10,000 purchasers of electric and hydrogen vehicles that are licensed in WA, or for three years following the announcement (Saturday 10 May 2025), whichever comes first.
The $3,500 rebate will help make electric vehicles more affordable for motorists, so if you have been thinking about purchasing an EV, now is a great time to buy! Here is a list of options available from John Hughes that fall under $70,000.
Using salary sacrifice to pay for your electric vehicle
As part of the Government's Electric Vehicle Strategy, it plans to eliminate the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) from eligible vehicles and scrap the current 5% import tariff.
Taxes on cars provided for private use through work are currently at 47 percent. By removing this, employers could save $9,000 a year on a $50,000 model. For individuals using a salary sacrifice arrangement to pay for the same model, their savings would be up to $4700 a year.
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Coming soon
Government taxes
The government receives 44.2 cents per litre of petrol or diesel from motorists through the fuel excise. This federal government tax helps to develop and maintain our transport infrastructure such as roads. Electric vehicle motorists are not currently paying fuel excise, however from 2027 electric vehicle owners will be charged 2.5 cents per kilometre, and hybrid vehicle owners 2.0 cents per kilometre, to make up for fuel excise losses.
How much could you be paying in road taxes? If you drive 15,000km per year on average, you can expect to pay $375 (EV) or $300 (Hybrid). If you drive 25,000km on average then you can expect to be paying $625 (EV) or $500 (Hybrid).
Infrastructure
Western Australia is a vast state so significant infrastructure will be required to give motorists confidence in being able to travel down south or road trip up north in an electric vehicle.
The WA government will create the world’s longest electric vehicle highway by installing charging stations at 45 locations across the state to create a 5,194km fast-charging network. The network will stretch from Kununurra, down the coast past Esperance, all the way to Eucla. Works are expected to be completed by January 2024.
Another $22.6 million will be allocated to charging facilities at Perth train stations, government offices, hospitals, schools, sports facilities, and more.
Go green
Interested in switching to a greener way to drive? View the range of EVs and Hybrids available at John Hughes today.