22 March 2023

Tonight’s rushed announcement by the Transport Minister about EV charging lacks crucial details such as how much it will cost and who will pay for it, National’s Transport spokesperson Simeon Brown says.

“There is a significant need for more EV charging infrastructure, but more talk and aspiration won't deliver anything.

“Remarkably, Labour hasn’t even bothered to cost their policy. Having spent weeks telling New Zealanders what they won’t do, Labour can’t even tell Kiwis how much their new policies will cost or how they’ll be paid for.

“What New Zealanders need is a plan that unlocks investment in the EV charging network by removing barriers such as network connections and council policies which make it difficult to get approvals for car parks to be used for EV charging.

“Labour is also admitting that their feebate scheme has failed, with tens of millions being paid to millionaires to buy Teslas while ute owners have been penalised with taxes despite not having alternatives.

“National will scrap the Ute Tax and provide a clear plan on how we will unlock investment in the EV charging network as New Zealand grows the number of EVs on our roads.”

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