The Parliament of Victoria’s Legislative Council directed the Economy and Infrastructure Committee to inquire into electric vehicles on 8 February 2017. The Terms of Reference for the Committee’s Inquiry into Electric Vehicles called for the Committee to inquire into, consider and report, no later than 14 December 2017, on:

1. the potential benefits of widespread uptake of electric vehicles in Victoria to the environment, including greenhouse gas emissions, air quality, noise and amenity, whereby electric vehicles are defined as vehicles that both
   (a) use one or more electric motors as their sole means of propulsion; and
   (b) require recharge from an off-board electricity source;
2. the regulatory, infrastructure, economic, employment and incentive options for supporting the uptake of privately owned electric vehicles;
3. the applicability of electric vehicles in public transport bus fleets and public sector fleets;
4. options for supporting the manufacture and assembly of electric vehicles in Victoria, including transition of workers and suppliers affected by the closure of vehicle manufacturing in Victoria; and
5. the applicability of electric vehicles to the car share providers market.

The Committee’s Inquiry was focussed on electric vehicles and investigating their use by consumers and for public infrastructure.

The report does not consider automated vehicles in depth. However, in assessing what the future of transport might look like for Victoria, the Committee also heard from an expert in Victoria’s first-ever automated vehicle trial during the Inquiry.

The Committee acknowledges the significance of the impact that automation of transport will have to Victoria. It is important that this impact be considered in planning for the State’s future, particularly in relation to transport infrastructure. The Committee is aware that Infrastructure Victoria is currently preparing advice to the Special Minister of State regarding automation and transport. The first stage of advice is due to be delivered to the Government in April 2018.