Electric Vehicles in New South Wales (NSW) have been granted an extension to use transit lanes until mid-2025, providing almost three additional years of access beyond the original expiration date.
This privilege allows motorists driving electric vehicles (EVs) to navigate through the state’s transit lanes solo, a benefit that was quietly extended late last year.
Since 2022, EV drivers in NSW have enjoyed the opportunity to utilize ‘T2’ and ‘T3’ transit lanes typically designated for buses, taxis, and vehicles carrying two or three occupants. This measure was implemented to promote EV adoption, leveraging reduced traffic congestion as a significant incentive.
Initially scheduled to conclude in November 2022, the transit lane exemption was first extended to October 31, 2023.
However, shortly before its expiration, the New South Wales Minister for Roads, John Graham, issued a ministerial order to further extend the exemption until June 30, 2025.
To qualify for solo access to T2 and T3 transit lanes, EVs must display the blue triangular ‘EV’ sticker on their number plates.
It’s important to note that this congestion-alleviation measure specifically applies to fully electric vehicles and not to hybrids or plug-in hybrids, despite some of them having the capability to operate solely on electric power.
Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (FCEVs), although rare in Australia compared to EVs, are also included in this exemption. New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) are currently the only two jurisdictions permitting EVs and FCEVs, also known as zero-emissions vehicles, to utilize transit lanes during peak hours.
