What the Coalition's planned cuts would mean for your next EV or home battery
Why it matters: This is an opposition policy: nothing changes unless the Coalition wins the next federal election and passes it, and it hasn't said what would happen to leases or orders already in place. Today the FBT exemption can save someone on $100,000 about $4,480 a year in income tax on a typical EV lease, and the battery rebate is worth about $258 per kWh for the first 14 kWh (roughly $3,350 on a 13 kWh battery). The government is already winding back the FBT exemption for EVs over $75,000 from April 2027.
On 26 October Opposition Leader Angus Taylor released costings, checked by the Parliamentary Budget Office, for $31.3 billion of savings over four years to help fund income tax cuts. A $9.4 billion bundle, costed over the four years from 2028–29, would scrap the electric car fringe benefits tax exemption (the "EV discount" used in novated leases), the Cheaper Home Batteries rebate and some ARENA functions; the ABC reports it also includes the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard. Taylor says it is "absolutely critical at this time to control spending". Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the Coalition still has more than $110 billion of unfunded commitments, and the Smart Energy Council calls the battery rebate "a cost-of-living scheme, not a green scheme".
- EV novated lease: income tax saved a year ($100k salary)4,480
- Home battery rebate: 13 kWh battery3,354
- Home battery rebate: 10 kWh battery2,580
EV Pick estimates: novated lease example of $14,000 a year of lease and running costs at 2026–27 tax rates; battery rebate about $258 per kWh since 1 May 2026, falling from 1 January 2027.
Source: ABC News
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How we work it out, and our sources
Weekly cost = the car's energy use × 250 km × your electricity or fuel price, with 90% of charging at home. Prices are list prices at November 2026; check with the dealer.
- Electricity: 2026–27 default rates (AER, Victorian Default Offer, state retailers). Public charging: Sydney network prices, July 2026.
- Petrol and diesel: capital-city daily averages from state government price feeds, via FuelRadar, 12 November 2026. Diesel for Hobart, Canberra and Darwin is estimated from the national fall.
- Cars: maker figures via CarExpert, Drive, CarsGuide and EV Central. Plug-in electric range is taken as 80% of the claim.
- Servicing: published capped prices; marked as an estimate where not yet published (CarExpert comparison).
- Tyres: an EV set lasts about 35,000 km, a petrol or hybrid set 50,000 km (RACV); prices from Gridly.
- Home charger: about $2,000 installed ($1,000–$3,000). Novated leases: PwC summary.
Printed from EV Pick Australia · evpick.com.au. Prices and costs are estimates; check with the dealer. © 2026 EV Pick (T. Crouch). For personal use only; not to be copied, republished or sold without permission.
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