As part of this year’s budget announcement, the government committed to transitioning its vehicle fleet to 100 per cent electric vehicles by 2030. Most vehicles privately purchased in Tasmania are second hand vehicles, and ex-government vehicles are always a popular choice because they have been professionally maintained and lightly used. In a few years, these electric vehicles will be sold on from the government fleet to the Tasmanian public.
Having additional government-owned electric vehicles on the road will help inform decisions about the infrastructure needed to support them. Hopefully, we will see more chargers in more convenient places.
Tasmania’s potential benefits from switching to electric vehicles are enormous, and are not limited to the cost of fuel imports avoided by the state. Tasmania does not extract and refine its own oil – we import all of our petroleum requirements. In fact, 90% of Australia’s oil is imported, it is extracted in the Middle East then refined in Asia. In contrast, the “fuel” that will charge electric cars in Tasmania will come from our near-100% renewable electricity grid from hydro and wind, or from the owner’s own solar panels.
Image: EV fast charger at Devonport’s multi level car park
Find out more about electric vehicle ownership in Tasmania by joining AEVA Tasmania
