Guidelines - Electric Vehicle Rebate

The objectives and intended outcomes of the program will be:

• to reduce Tasmania’s transport emissions by encouraging consumers to replace internal combustion engine vehicles with electric vehicles
• to provide financial incentives to the greatest number of consumers
• to increase electric vehicle purchases that would not have taken place without the support of the program.

This rebate applies only to battery electric vehicles.

A battery electric vehicle has an electric battery that is externally recharged. It has no tailpipe emissions while driving.

The rebate does not apply to the following types of vehicles.

• Plug-in hybrid vehicles – these vehicles have both an internal combustion engine and an electric battery that can be externally recharged. These vehicles have tailpipe emissions when using the internal combustion engine.
• Hybrid vehicles – these vehicles are powered by a combination of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor than cannot be recharged externally. These vehicles have tailpipe emissions.

For any queries about the eligibility criteria, contact climatechange@recfit.tas.gov.au

Applicants may be asked to supply documentation to support their eligibility claims, as part of the application process, or as part of an audit process. Information supplied by applicants may be subject to authenticity checks using third party software.

To be eligible for the rebate applicants must:

• be a Tasmanian resident
• have purchased, received and registered for use in Tasmania either:
  • a new battery electric light passenger vehicle from a licensed motor vehicle dealer
  • a secondhand light passenger electric vehicle that has been imported from overseas or another jurisdiction
• be the registered owner of the vehicle
• provide proof of purchase and proof of registration
• for eligible secondhand vehicles, provide proof of pre-registration inspection
• have ordered the vehicle after the start date of this program and received the vehicle within six months from the date of submitting an application for this program.

Rebates are limited to one per individual.

3.1 Ineligible applicants

The rebates are only available for vehicles purchased for personal use by an individual, and not businesses.

The following vehicles are not eligible:

• electric motorbikes or scooters
• internal combustion engine (ICE)
• plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs)
• hybrid vehicles (HEVs)
• secondhand vehicles that have previously been registered in Tasmania
• dealer/demonstrator models that have previously been registered in Tasmania
• retrofitted battery electric vehicles
• e-mobility devices
• vehicles that have received a waiver on stamp duty payable on purchase
• vehicles that are managed or leased through a Lease or Fleet Management Organisation
• vehicles that have not been delivered within six months from the time of application for Stage 1
• vehicles that have received a rebate, grant or subsidy in other Australian states or territories.

The following entities are not eligible to receive a rebate:

• Licenced Motor Vehicle Dealers
• government entities
• fleet management organisations.

The rebate will be assessed on a first come, first served basis.

There are two stages in the application process.

• Stage 1 – Applicants must apply to be on the Register at the time:
  • the applicant purchases, or intends to purchase, an eligible vehicle after the start date of this program; and
  • the applicant anticipates receiving and registering the eligible vehicle for use in Tasmania within six months from the date of submitting an application for this program.
• Stage 2 – To receive payment of the rebate, applicants must apply when the eligible vehicle is received and registered in Tasmania within six months from the date of submitting their application.

Applicants must apply for Stage 1 to be eligible to apply for Stage 2.

If any applicant does not apply for Stage 2 within six months from the date of submitting their application, that applicant will be removed from the Register.

Applicants must provide the following information in Stage 2:

• permission for personal and vehicle details to be confirmed against the Tasmanian Registration and Licensing System
• vehicle registration certificate
• proof of vehicle purchase (contract of sale and dealer tax invoice displaying final payment and date the vehicle was purchased)
• for newly registered secondhand vehicles, proof of pre-registration inspection
• vehicle make, model and VIN (vehicle identification number)
• bank account number and BSB for payment
• a completed ‘Statement by a supplier not quoting an ABN' form.

A total of 375 grants of $2,000 each will be available. The program will close when the funding has been exhausted. The ReCFIT website will be updated with an estimated closing date as applications are received and assessed.

During the assessment process the department may, at its discretion, require further information to support or clarify an application. This information must be provided within three working days, unless otherwise advised. Failure to provide further requested information within the timeframe may result in the application being unsuccessful.

The Department of State Growth uses an online grants management system called SmartyGrants. This system is easy to use and accessible via mobile phones, tablets, laptops and personal computers.

Applicants without internet access should contact the Climate Change Office on (03) 6166 4466 to discuss alternative methods for applying.

1. Applicants should read the guidelines and any frequently asked questions carefully before starting an application. The application form is designed to help structure applicants’ responses to the eligibility and assessment criteria.
2. There will be no opportunity to change an application or provide further information to support it once it has been submitted. Applicants should ensure that all supporting documentation provided is accurate and is attached correctly before submitting.
3. Applicants should complete and lodge an application online via SmartyGrants from the ReCFIT website www.recfit.tas.gov.au
4. Following the submission of the application via SmartyGrants, applicants will receive an automatic receipt of their application. This receipt will include details of the application and a unique application ID.
5. Applications will be assessed by a departmental assessor to determine if the eligibility criteria have been met. Information supplied by applicants may be subject to authenticity checks using third party software before being submitted to the assessment team or panel.
6. Applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application once considered by the assessor.

The appeals process is designed to ensure that all applicants have been treated fairly and consistently in applying for Department of State Growth grants. The department will consider appeals relating to administrative process issues in grants management.

All requests must be in writing and should be addressed to Director, Climate Change, Climate Change Office.

Your request must be received within 28 days from the date of the Department of State Growth notifying you of the decision about your application. For further information about the process, contact climatechange@recfit.tas.gov.au.

Applicants will be asked for their bank account details at the time of application to process grant payments. This bank account must be in the same name as the individual that applied for the grant. Applicants may be asked to provide a copy of their bank statement or a letter from their bank to confirm their bank account details.

Providing incorrect bank account details may result in funds being paid to an incorrect account. These funds will need to be returned to us before we attempt another grant payment. This process may result in significant delays in funding being received. Additionally, we cannot guarantee that funds paid to an incorrect bank account will be returned to us.

If

• the information provided to us is found to be false or misleading, or
• the recipient’s situation changes in a way that prevents purchase or registration of the vehicle

the recipient will be required to return some or all of the funds to the department.

Applicants will be asked to provide a ‘Statement by a supplier not quoting an ABN’. This is a form required by the Australian Tax Office. You can get a form to complete by clicking on the link ATO - Statement by a Supplier.

When completing the form:

1. Enter the name and address of the individual who has made the application
2. You will be asked to provide a reason/s for not quoting an ABN.  Check the box/es that match your circumstances.
3. Sign the declaration

For more information about Tax and Statement by a Supplier Forms, go to the Australian Tax Office Website.

An acquittal is a statement made by a grant recipient, confirming that the grant funding was used as per the funding agreement.

For this program, information submitted in the application will also meet acquittal requirements.

The program will be administered by the Department of State Growth on behalf of the Crown in the Right of Tasmania. Contact climatechange@recfit.tas.gov.au or the Climate Change Office on 03 6166 4466.

11.1 Note

All applicants must take care to provide true and accurate information. Any information that is found to be false or misleading may result in action being taken and grant funds, if already provided, will be required to be repaid to the department.

The Department of State Growth disburses public funds and is therefore accountable for the distribution of those funds. As part of the accountability process, the department may publicise the level of financial assistance, the identity of the recipient, the purpose of the financial assistance, and any other details considered by the department to be appropriate.

Information provided to the Department of State Growth may be subject to disclosure in accordance with the Right to Information Act 2009.

The Tasmanian Government may use and disclose the information provided by applicants for the purposes of discharging its respective functions under the Program Guidelines and otherwise for the purposes of the program and related uses.

The department may also:

1. use information received in applications for any other departmental business
2. use information received in applications and during the delivery of the project for reporting purposes
3. use third party software to review information received in applications to confirm its authenticity.

Personal information will be managed in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act 2004.

This information may be accessed by the individual to whom it related, on request to the Department of State Growth. A fee for this service may be charged.

The following applies to all successful applicants:

• Despite any confidentiality or intellectual property right subsisting in the grant funding agreement or deed, a party may publish all or any part of the grant funding agreement or deed without reference to another party.
• Please note that all obligations under the Personal Information Protection Act 2004 (Tas) and the Privacy Act 1988 (Cwlth) still apply.

Although care has been taken in the preparation of this document, no warranty, express or implied, is given by the Crown in Right of Tasmania, as to the accuracy or completeness of the information it contains.

The Crown in Right of Tasmania accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage that may arise from anything contained in or omitted from or that may arise from the use of this document, and any person relying on this document and the information it contains does so at their own risk absolutely.

The Crown in Right of Tasmania does not accept liability or responsibility for any loss incurred by an applicant that are in any way related to the program.