98
Australia’s roads are full of giant cars, and everyone pays the price. What can be done?
(theconversation.com)
this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2025
98 points (99.0% liked)
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We already to. IMHO rego is weight based.
Rego is weight-based, but it's utterly fucked.
My 900kg hatchback costs $149 more to register than a ute up to 4500kg out in the country.
In the city, the rego difference is $1.10.
https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/registrations/fees-and-charges/vehicle-fees#registration-renewal-fees-for-light-motor-vehicles
What's worse, their FAQ says a lot of TAC claims for utes are paid by workcover, not the TAC. That's why it's cheaper.
...so people who purchase a roadblimp to use for school dropoffs are dodging the TAC charge, whilst being a much larger hazard than everyone else.
https://www.tac.vic.gov.au/about-the-tac/our-organisation/transport-accident-charge?drop=6
Canberra charges based on emissions category, with EVs being cheapest to register, and big engine diesels being the most expensive
They are categorised by their CO2 emissions in g/km, so the big and least efficient pay much more
News article, as the ACT government doesn't seem to publish the details in an easy to read format
I did not realize that rego is state specific. IMHO NSW has most sane method.
In NSW your hatchback will cost $270 and 3 tonne SUV $949. https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/vehicle-registration/fees-concessions-and-forms/vehicle-registration-fees
As a Victorian I am loathe to say it, but this is definitely one thing you guys do a hell of a lot better than us.
Especially with the uptake in EVs, which while better for the environment long-term also pose a similar issue for pedestrians and cyclists, registration costs need to be reviewed and rethought from the ground up.
They need to break it down to a Road Levy and a Fuel Levy.
A 2.5T Tesla Model X should pay more for road maintenance than a 900kg Suzuki Swift.
In the long-term, absolutely, we will need to revisit the fuel levy as we transition towards more EVs.
However I think it would be short-sighted to do anything currently that could disincentivise EV uptake.
I’d honestly much rather see a 1,000 more Model Ys on the road than 100 Rangers.
I would rather see more trains on railway tracks and buses with rational routes that service everyone than a single Tesla.
Oh, absolutely - we’re on the Pakenham line and took the trip through the new metro tunnel last weekend, absolutely brilliant!
But there are trips and roles that can’t rely on PT, and for those I would much rather see EV adoption over more gigantic Yank-tank “trucks” with somehow less bed-space than what the Commodore and Falcon used to offer.
Yeah, I find it hilarious when I see a RAM that is actually being used by a tradie, with two Rhino Boxes and a short stack of Milwaukee PACK-OUTs taking up all the space in the tray, while a Triton parked next to it has an entire workshop of tools.
Depends on the state. NSW for example is one that does vary depending on weight (based on weight ranges, not a full sliding scale) - there's a ~$180 difference between my sedan and van due to the van's higher tare weight placing it in the next category up. QLD on the other hand is one that doesn't - they charge based on the cylinder count instead.
Why is rego on a little i20 so damn expensive then
All rego-s are expensive. my last one was 600 for car just above 1500kg
check this.
https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/vehicle-registration/fees-concessions-and-forms/vehicle-registration-fees