The number of Australian politicians swapping to Tesla electric vehicles has grown by one, after Perth-based federal Labor MP Patrick Gorman stepped into a Tesla Model 3 and decided he’d “hang on to this one for many years”.
Gorman, the federal Labor MP for Perth and shadow assistant minister for WA, was recently in the market for a new car looking to move on from his previous Mazda CX-5 government fleet car.
“There was one electric, I think a (Hyundai) Kona,” Gorman recently told The West Australian’s ‘West Wheels’ twice-weekly liftout. “I had a look at that and I had a look at the Tesla Model 3.
I have made the switch to an electric car 🚗 🔋
The weekend is still here and Leo and Ruby love it too.
Great to talk to West Wheels about how an @AlboMP Labor government will make electric cars cheaper for families. pic.twitter.com/tr9AwKON5A
— Patrick Gorman MP (@PatrickGormanMP) October 22, 2021
“In January, when I decided I would make the change, I went to the Tesla store in Osborne Park, which is in my electorate, for a test drive.
“I put the (double) pram in the boot – and that was going to be the deal breaker.”
Gorman follows in the footsteps of other MPs, including former Labor leader Bill Shorten, Federal Liberal MP Katie Allen, and NSW minister for the energy and environment Matt Kean.
Gorman now claims to be “a bit of a revhead” thanks to his new Tesla Model 3, and adds that its 425-litre boot space makes fitting in a double pram easy. He also loves the instant torque the Model 3 provides.
“I don’t expect to go back to a combustion car and I think I’ll hang on to this one for many years,” Gorman said.
“I don’t chew through the whole battery in a single day,” he said, adding that he charged it off a regular powerpoint at home and found that was enough to keep the car topped up. “On my most conservative days, I would do 30km – and that involves the daycare drop-off and getting into the office.”
I’m speaking to The iDriveWA Electric Vehicle Conference today about our plans.
I love my electric car.@AlboMP and @AustralianLabor will make them more affordable for Australian families.
A Labor government will cut tax on EVs from 1 July 2022 ⚡🚗 pic.twitter.com/I8pTi0utyg
— Patrick Gorman MP (@PatrickGormanMP) November 4, 2021
The Labor Party’s recently-announced EV policy would remove the 5% import tariff on some EVs – excluding those imported from countries with which Australia has a free-trade agreement – which could save customers up to 2,000 on certain EV models.
The Labor Party would also scrap the 47% fringe benefits tax on cars provided through work for private use, saving employers up to 9,000 in FBT.
The Labor Party policies would target EVs below the luxury car tax threshold for fuel-efficient vehicles set at $79,659 for 2021-22.
Gorman is also not the first Australian politician to see the light on EVs, following in the footsteps of New South Wales state Coalition minister for the energy and environment Matt Kean, Federal Liberal MP Katie Allen, and former Labor leader Bill Shorten.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.