Around the world, governments are recognising the benefits of wide-scale electric vehicle use and are supporting their uptake through policy. 

Thanks to its compact geography, Tasmania would encourage people to purchase electric vehicles by providing even just a handful of public vehicle charging stations. This paper explores two options for providing coverage to a large part or most of the state, with three or six charging stations. These options cover the most travelled routes and the most popular tourism areas. They could be built for approximately $1 million or $2 million respectively.

An electric vehicle fleet would use electricity sourced largely from the state’s hydroelectric generators, which produce almost zero carbon emissions. This allows the fuel source for electric vehicles to be considerably cleaner than elsewhere, which would help reinforce Tasmania’s international reputation as a “clean and green” tourist destination.

No other Australian state has taken a strong lead with electric vehicles. This hesitation represents an opportunity for Tasmania, as the capital cost of supporting the electric vehicle market’s expansion is substantially lower than other states. Tasmania’s population density, size and booming tourist industry all serve as competitive advantages that the state could exploit.