GET welcomes Victorian Government boost to state’s EV charging network

Global Electric Transport (GET) – the Victorian-based provider of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Australia – has welcomed the Victorian Government’s commitment to the future of electric vehicles through new funding to support the rollout of EV charging stations across the state.

Treasurer Tim Pallas committed $45 million in today’s state budget to boost the uptake of electric vehicles with charging points and plug-in type facilities to be factored into new buildings. The announcement follows similar policy shifts in South Australia and New South Wales announced last week that expands EV charging station networks and policies to support the proliferation of electric vehicles, as the world increasingly looks to electricity as the future for sustainable transport.

Whilst some have bemoaned plans by the Victorian and South Australian governments to introduce an electric vehicle road user levy, GET CEO Harry Hamman said such a charge was simply recognition that as sales continued to increase, it is only fair that EV drivers contribute to road funding.

“The major problem with the levies proposed by the Victorian and South Australian governments is the collection methods which, because they are based on distance travelled, will require an antiquated logbook method of record-keeping to calculate the levy,” Hamman said.

“Petrol and diesel vehicle drivers pay their equivalent road user charge via a fuel levy paid at the pump directly to the relevant jurisdictions and this is the model electric vehicle drivers should also be subject to.

“The GET app to facilitate EV charging transactions is unique because it multiplies the energy used by each charger by the price of energy at the site, which means a proportion of the total charging cost could be paid directly to state or commonwealth jurisdictions in the way current fuel levies are collected. This is a much fairer method of collection because it is based on energy used, and most importantly eliminates reliance on logbooks, which are significantly less accurate, easily rorted, and rely on an army of public servants to verify them and collect the revenue,” Hamman said.

Hamman said the Victorian Government’s commitment to roll-out charging stations would stimulate electric vehicle sales because of the confidence it would create among buyers.

“The major barrier to EV sales is consumer concern around the lack of reliable and available charging stations. Building rapid charging stations and installing them in new and existing commercial and residential sites like shopping malls, car parks and apartment buildings will do more to boost EV sales than the miniscule financial relief of waiving an equivalent fuel levy on EV drivers,” he said.

GET plans to open Australia’s first commercial EV charging hub in Port Melbourne next month, giving EV drivers in Melbourne additional choice when it comes to where and how to charge their electric vehicle. Ends…

For further information, contact Brian O’Neil on 0411 055 284.