'Do a lot more': NSW Treasurer Matt Kean swipes federal government, Barnaby Joyce over electric vehicles

The NSW Treasurer on Wednesday also claimed the Commonwealth could "obviously do a lot more" to encourage the uptake of zero-emissions vehicles.

Mr Kean made the comments as he unveiled $105 million in incentives for taxi and rideshare operators to make the switch, a day after Prime Minister Scott Morrison unveiled his own plan for 1.7 million electric vehicles by 2030.

"It's great the federal government is getting on board the EV revolution, but they can obviously do a lot more," Mr Kean said.

"This is a revolution which is coming whether Barnaby Joyce likes it or not."

READ MORE NEWS:

He said, with fleet operators selling their cars every three to four years, encouraging them to buy electric vehicles would create a second-hand market in Australia.

The announcement took the NSW government's spending on electric vehicles to just under $600 million. It was the second state Coalition government to announce extra investment in the technology on Wednesday, with Tasmania revealing plans to build 43 new charging ports.

Mr Kean said NSW was on track for electric vehicles to account for 50 per cent of new cars on its roads by 2030.

"We don't just think EVs are going to revolutionise the weekend, we think they're going to revolutionise every day of the week," he said.

The comments could be interpreted as a barb at Mr Morrison, who before the 2019 election claimed a similar target from federal Labor would "end the weekend".

Electric vehicle manufacturers have been hesitant to enter the Australian market without policy certainty or infrastructure investment, but Mr Kean insisted NSW was "working closely" with the industry.

"They're telling me that this package is what is exactly needed to encourage them to bring new vehicles into the market. That's exciting," he said.

The Prime Minister on Tuesday reversed his criticism of electric vehicles, which he had previously claimed could not tow trailers or "get you to your favourite camping spot with your family".

Our coverage of the health and safety aspects of this outbreak of COVID-19 in the ACT is free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. You can also sign up for our newsletters for regular updates.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: