The Morrison government's plan to put up to 1.7 million electric and hybrid vehicles on Australia's roads this decade has been labelled a dud by the industry.
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The coalition's $250 "future fuels" fund anticipates giving more than 80 per cent of Australians access to electric vehicle charging stations.
It would involve stations across 50,000 homes, 1000 public car parks and 400 businesses.
Australia's grid would also be upgraded to ensure it could cope with up to 1.7 million electric vehicles expected on the roads by 2030.
But the national body representing Australia's electric vehicle industry has criticised the absence of tax incentives or fuel efficiency standards in the plan.
"There's an element of a good plan there. Unfortunately, that's only about five per cent of what's needed," Electric Vehicles Council chief executive Behyad Jafari told ABC radio on Tuesday.
"We've been waiting two years for this policy. Every other country put their policies out over a decade ago now, so it's just far too little too late."
He thinks rebates to make electric vehicles more affordable as well as fuel efficiency standards should make up the bulk of any policy.
"They're the two most important things that are needed in order to transition us away from high petrol prices towards electric vehicles," Mr Jafari said.
The coalition, which trashed electric vehicles as "ending the weekend" at the 2019 election, has stressed its approach is about "choices not mandates".
"Australians love their family sedan, farmers rely on their trusted ute and our economy counts on trucks and trains to deliver goods from coast to coast," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
"We will not be forcing Australians out of the car they want to drive or penalising those who can least afford it through bans or taxes. "
It is expected the private sector will match the $250 billion in federal funding and lead to the creation of more than 2600 jobs over three years from 2021/22.
Investment will also focus on electrifying commercial fleets, as well as heavy and long-distance technology in a bid to cut emissions by eight metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2035.
Battery electric and plug-in hybrid cars accounted for 8688 sales in the first half of the year, representing 1.57 per cent of overall light vehicle sales.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said the shift was inevitable while deriding the government's about turn on electric vehicles.
"In the lead up to an election campaign, they want you to believe that now electric vehicles are all okay," he told reporters in Sydney.
Separately, Labor is promising to spend $200 million rehabilitating urban waterways if it wins power in the next poll to be held by May 2022.
The program, which involves local governments and community groups, aims to improve water quality, reduce localised flooding and restore habitats.
Australian Associated Press
