Advertisement
Electric vehicles (EVs) receive large subsidies in Australia.
First, the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) exemption for battery EVs and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) is estimated to cost the federal budget more than $550 million in lost tax revenue each year. However, the FBT exemption for PHEVs expired on April 1, 2025.
According to the FBT exemption rules, someone who leases a $60,000 car would save over $12,000 per year if they acquired an EV instead of a petrol car via a novated lease.
The full text of this article is available to MacroBusiness subscribers
Cancel at any time through our billing provider, Stripe
About the author
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness.
Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.