Western Australia’s EV Rebate Fund Topped Up

WA’s Cook Government has tipped another $9.5 million into the state’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Rebate Scheme.

The ZEV rebate, which was launched in May 2022, provides a $3,500 subsidy for eligible vehicles. Originally it was to be available to the first 10,000 applicants or until 10 May 2025 – whichever came first. As part of the 2024-25 State Budget, the WA Government provided an additional $5.2 million investment to meet expected demand with the application cap removed.

Mid-year projections indicated added demand in 2024-25, so the extra $9.5 million has been injected into the scheme to take it through to the application deadline, which is midnight on Saturday 10 May 2025.

As at the end of November 2024, a total of $32,200,000 had been paid out for 9,200 rebates.

WA ZEV Rebate Eligibility

To eligible, vehicles must:

• be zero-emissions and fully powered by batteries or hydrogen fuel cells.
• be a light vehicle (passenger, commercial or light truck); with a gross vehicle mass of 4.5 tonnes or less.
• have a maximum dutiable value of $70,000 or less – and there are quite a few more EV models in this category now than when the incentive originally launched in 2022.
• brand new and never previously registered either here in Australia or overseas.

Unlike some rebates in the renewable energy and electrification space that are actually an up-front discount, this is a true rebate. It’s provided as an electronic funds transfer to an applicant’s nominated bank account only once the vehicle has been licensed (registered), and application processed. Rebate payments may take up to 8-10 weeks to process; so that’s something worth keeping in mind when budgeting.

For further information on the WA ZEV Rebate, see this page.

Electric Vehicle Uptake In Western Australia

Commenting on the latest cash infusion, WA’s Minister Assisting the Transport Minister David Michael said:

“There has been significant growth in the number of electric vehicles on WA roads over the past three years, and for the first time EVs made up more than 1 per cent of WA’s light vehicle fleet in the June 2024 quarter. I expect as more affordable EVs are made available to the WA market, more Western Australians will look to make the switch to zero-emission vehicles, increasing interest in the ZEV rebate.”

The number of electric vehicles in Western Australia increased by over 513 per cent between 31 December 2021 and 30 June 2024 says the State Government, based on information from the Department of Transport. The Automobile Association of Australia (AAA) indicates the following proportions of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in new light vehicle sales in WA over the last couple of years:

• Q1 2022: 2.19%
• Q2 2022: 1.04%
• Q3 2022: 3.98%
• Q4 2022: 4.99%
• Q1 2023: 5.73%
• Q2 2023: 7.91%
• Q3 2023: 6.67%
• Q4 2023: 7.54%
• Q1 2024: 7.65%
• Q2 2024: 8.03%
• Q3 2024: 7.45%

Other EV Rebates In Australia

Western Australia has been bucking the trend in terms of support for purchasing electric vehicles. There used to be EV rebates in several other states, but WA currently stands alone.

But there are other EV related incentives available in some states such as interest-free loans, registration discounts or charger grants. You can see summaries of these and other incentives for electrification, solar power and battery storage on SQ’s rebates and subsidies page.