Australian MPs representing rural and suburban seats are arguing against the Labor government’s plan to introduce tax incentives to spur electric vehicle (EV) sales in the country.
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce said for many voters in his electorate of New England, a vast expanse of northern New South Wales, EVs were too expensive and impractical for long distances.
He pointed to the Tesla Model S that has a range of under 500 kilometres saying it was “beyond the price range” of families living in “weatherboard-and-iron” homes.
“When you don’t have electric fast-charging stations—and even with 117 fast-charging stations, Australia’s a big place, the size of Western Europe … What happens if you need to get to the hospital? What happens if your kid gets an asthma attack?” he told Parliament….