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> putting taxes on electric cars (WHY?!) This was such a weird move across the board. Climate change rejection aside though, I think there could be a sympathet
by DavidPiper 5y ago
> putting taxes on electric cars (WHY?!)
This was such a weird move across the board. Climate change rejection aside though, I think there could be a sympathetic (to the government) explanation somewhere in there:
Eventually, EVs will need to be taxed in some way, if only to make up for the loss of fuel excise tax. It's far less controversial (and politically suicidal) to introduce a tax when only a tiny percentage of (presumably non-politically-donating) Australians will actually have to pay it.
Then once EV usage hits a significant percentage, there's already a tax in place that everyone takes for granted. And in the very unlikely event that such a tax would be repealed, what a great card to play at election time.
I can't remember who said it, but it reminds me of the "we should have taxed the Internet when we had the chance" comment. A realisation which came far too late (thankfully) for the government to do anything about it.
- vertis 5y agoIf the AU government didn't have such a denial / fossil-fuels attitude, I could even accept that. Unfortunately, with every other position that they hold it's hard to take that kind of explanation seriously.
- simonblack 5y agoputting taxes on electric cars (WHY?!) As a two-edged sword to reduce EV sales. First edge: to keep the petroleum boys happy. Second edge: because they can't afford to make the electricity generation plants big enough and the electricity grids robust enough to stand the charging of millions of electric vehicles on a daily basis.