Australians have had a long love affair with big and beefy cars. By the very size of our vast continent, ‘long drives’ for us are much longer than for our friends in the UK or New Zealand.
The recent legislative changes from our national parliamentarians will likely ‘turbo-charge’ the shift from traditional petrol and diesel engines towards electrification. The Albanese Labor Government have delivered on their election pledge to drop the fringe benefits tax on electric vehicles. This is excellent news for the South Australian Business Chamber member Positive Salary Packaging which has the evidence to prove the switch to electric is all in the numbers.
There have indeed been sniggers along the way as the electric vehicle has evolved. The funkier convertible-style SMART cars of the early 2000s in Europe never quite made it to Australian shores.
Many are unaware that electric vehicles could have dominated over petrol-fuelled combustion engines if it wasn’t for the issue of recharging. From the mid-19th century, electric motors were powering cars, even the London Underground, and the trains that were transporting coal out of the mines. However, the seeming abundance of its fuel meant that the combustion engines ‘won’ out, and the visibility of electric vehicles declined.
What we have seen over several decades is volatility in oil prices, concerns about the environmental impact of these fossil fuels, and increasing availability of renewable energy. As a result, luxury electric vehicles are coming from Tesla and well-known brands such as BMW, Land Rover, and even Ferrari have a hybrid model. There are also a host of new affordable options entering the market from the likes of Toyota, Hyundai and Nissan.
Fellow the South Australian Business Chamber member RAA, in partnership with the Government of South Australia, is building SA’s first state-wide electric vehicle charging network, with more than 530 charging points set to be installed across the state by early 2024.
The South Australian Business Chamber corporate member Positive Salary Packaging has done the sums already and are available to work out the best solution for you.
