Kia is holding back its electric and hybrid vehicles in Australia expecting the government to introduce policies that might encourage the development of a charging infrastructure, and the introduction and purchase of EVs, Jeff Shafer, Kia Australia’s senior product manager, said.

According to The Motor Report, there are no significant financial incentives at present for customers to purchase an all-electric or a hybrid electric. The government has already ended the Green Car Innovation Fund and at present it has no plans for such policies.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Shafer said: “For better or worse, Australia doesn’t have a strong government position on alternative fuel vehicles. There’s no picking and choosing by governments to say ‘we’re going to support hybrid’ or ‘we’re going to support any one particular technology’ so I guess that makes the job we’ve got as planners a little more difficult.”

Just Auto Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Auto Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Continental has secured the Window Displays Innovation Award in the 2025 Just Auto Excellence Awards for its Window Projection solution, transforming side windows into dynamic, data-rich canvases. Discover how this compact projection technology and intelligent software are reshaping in-car UX and opening fresh revenue streams for OEMs and mobility providers.

Discover the Impact