The Greens have launched a $6.1 billion electric vehicle policy in their election pitch. 

The Australian Greens have put forth a $6.1 billion plan to invest in Australia’s electric vehicle industry, which they are pitching as a return to vehicle manufacturing in Australia.

The money would be spent boosting manufacturing and lowering barriers for Australians to switch to an electric vehicle.

The plan is to provide rebates of up to $15,000 and “ultra-low-cost” financing for electric vehicles.

The Greens would also create a $1.2 billion fund to back renewed vehicle manufacturing in Australia, boosting the local production of electric vehicles and parts, as well as the raw materials that form them. An additional $2 billion would be spent on a publicly owned fast-charging network.

Also, the party wants to bring in strict new vehicle pollution standards that would effectively end the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030.

“In a few years, the whole country could be driving SA-made electric cars,” Greens leader Adam Bandt said after announcing the policies in Adelaide.

“We’ll cut pollution, create jobs and be energy independent if we restart SA’s car industry and make it electric. The Liberals flattened SA’s car industry but the Greens want to recharge it.

“As well as making electric cars here, we’ll make them cheaper to buy and easier to recharge. The war in Ukraine shows us just how exposed we are if we rely on another country’s oil to get around.

“Road transport makes up 15 per cent of Australia’s emissions, so any party with a net zero emissions target needs a plan to get our cars running on the sun and the wind,” Mr Bandt added.