The Queensland government has doubled incentives for drivers who buy electric vehicles as it pushes to increase uptake in the state.
Eligible households can now receive a $6,000 rebate when they purchase certain electric vehicles.
Drivers have been able to claim a $3,000 rebate on purchases since July 2022, when the government launched its electric vehicle rebate.
The more than 1,100 people who have already received that rebate will now be able to reapply for an additional payout under the increased scheme.
Twelve vehicles are currently eligible for the scheme, with seven more flagged to be added later this year.
Energy Minister Mick De Brenni said he expects up to 10,000 extra households will be eligible for the rebate, which he said aims to counteract fluctuating prices of electric vehicles "on the back of rising materials costs and inflation".
"This is also not about free money for wealthy Queenslanders. It's about giving every household, particularly working mums and dads, the opportunity to get behind the wheel of an electric vehicle," he said.
Am I eligible?
The rebate is available to households earning up to a total gross income of $180,000 per year.
However, it only applies to a certain range of vehicles costing up to $68,000 – excluding dealer delivery fees.
Previously, the scheme was limited to vehicles costing up to $58,000.
Eligible vehicles currently include:
- Hyundai Kona
- Mazda MX-30
- Polestar 2
- Nissan Leaf
- Tesla Model 3
- Mini Cooper SE
- MG Ora
- Hyundai Ioniq
- Kia E-Niro
- Renault Kangoo (commercial vehicle)
- BYD Atto 3
- MG ZS EV
Seven other options are flagged to be included later this year.
Increasing interest
RACQ general manager of advocacy Joshua Cooney welcomed the announcement, noting new electric car sales across the state had increased by nearly 80 per cent in the first three months of this year.
"It's evident Australians and Queenslanders are hungry for sustainable cars and we need to be doing as much as possible to make EVs more affordable and convenient," Mr Cooney said.
He said governments also needed to prioritise supportive infrastructure like charging stations to keep up with the growing number of electric vehicles.
"There's a lot of pieces to this puzzle and all these pieces are actually needed to make this work," he said.
