ACT Electric Car Rebate 2026: Every EV Incentive in Canberra

The ACT was, for several years, the standout jurisdiction in Australia for EV incentives. That position has narrowed considerably. As of 2026, the full stamp duty exemption has closed (EVs now pay the lowest emissions-based duty band, not nil), the two-years-free registration has ended (registration is now emissions-based), and the Sustainable Household Scheme loan is no longer interest-free. The federal FBT exemption still applies in full. Canberra remains one of the more supportive places to buy an EV, but the headline “everything is free” picture no longer holds.

Here is a complete and current breakdown of every ACT EV incentive in 2026, including a worked example showing what the numbers actually look like now.

ACT EV Incentives at a Glance

Incentive	Amount	Status
Stamp duty exemption	Closed - EVs now pay lowest VERS duty band	Closed 1 Sep 2025
Registration	Emissions-based (free-rego ended)	Free 2 years ended ~Jul 2024
Sustainable Household Scheme loan	Up to $15,000 at 3% interest	Open (no longer interest-free)
Federal FBT exemption	$6,000–$12,000/yr (novated lease)	Active
EV road user charge	$0	Never introduced

Use the rebate checker to confirm current status and verify eligibility for your specific vehicle before purchase.

Stamp Duty on EVs in the ACT (Exemption Closed)

The ACT’s full stamp duty exemption for new zero-emission vehicles closed on 1 September 2025. EVs are no longer duty-free. Instead, they now sit in the lowest band of the ACT’s emissions-based Vehicle Emissions Reduction Scheme (VERS) duty - a reduced rate, but not nil.

What this means in practice: an EV attracts VERS duty at the lowest emissions band, which is lower than the duty a higher-emission petrol or diesel car of the same value pays, but there is now a cost where previously there was none. The exact amount depends on the vehicle’s value and the current lowest-band rate.

There is no application process - the emissions-based rate is applied automatically at the point of registration based on the vehicle’s emissions rating. Your dealer or financier handles the transfer paperwork.

For ACT buyers, an EV still attracts less duty than an equivalent combustion vehicle, but the “zero stamp duty” position that applied before 1 September 2025 is gone. Current rates are published by the ACT Revenue Office: Motor vehicle duty.

Registration for EVs in the ACT (Free-Rego Period Ended)

The ACT’s two-years-free registration for new battery electric vehicles has ended - it closed around 1 July 2024. Registration in the ACT is now emissions-based: lower-emission vehicles, including EVs, attract a lower registration charge than high-emission vehicles, but registration is no longer free for EVs.

ACT registration for an EV is therefore a standard ongoing cost in 2026, discounted according to the vehicle’s emissions rating rather than waived. To confirm the current charge for the specific vehicle you are considering, contact Access Canberra before purchase.

ACT Sustainable Household Scheme: Loans up to $15,000 (Now at 3% Interest)

The ACT Sustainable Household Scheme remains open, but it is no longer interest-free. As of 1 July 2025, a 3% interest rate applies to new loans. The scheme provides loans of up to $15,000 towards a zero-emission vehicle (and separately for eligible household upgrades including rooftop solar, home batteries, and heat pump hot water systems).

Two changes are scheduled for new applicants from 1 July 2026: the loan cap rises from $15,000 to $20,000, and an EV price limit of $60,000 is introduced.

The mechanics are otherwise unchanged: you borrow the funds from the ACT government, purchase your EV, and repay over up to 10 years through your electricity bill. On a $15,000 loan at 3% over 10 years, repayments are around $145 per month.

The 3% rate is still well below a typical commercial car loan (often 7-9% per annum), so there is a genuine interest saving - but it is no longer a zero-cost loan. On a $15,000 loan over 10 years, the difference between 3% and, say, 8% works out to roughly $4,000-$5,000 in avoided interest, rather than the full interest cost.

The scheme is administered in partnership with a participating lender. You need to be an eligible ACT resident and meet the scheme’s current criteria. Check the ACT Sustainable Household Scheme website for up-to-date eligibility requirements, the interest rate, approved vehicle lists, and the current application process.

The Federal FBT Exemption: Stacked on Top

The federal FBT exemption applies to ACT buyers exactly as it does to buyers in every other Australian state. For employees who can access a novated lease through their employer, it removes fringe benefits tax from eligible BEVs priced below the luxury car tax threshold of $91,661 (2026-27), and the combined effect of the FBT saving and pre-tax salary packaging is typically the largest single financial benefit available to any EV buyer in Australia.

For an ACT buyer earning $100,000 and financing a $55,000 BEV on a three-year novated lease, the combined FBT exemption and salary packaging saving typically runs to $20,000–$26,000 over the lease term. With the ACT stamp duty exemption and free-registration period now closed, the FBT exemption is by far the dominant EV incentive for Canberra buyers - the concessional emissions-based duty and the 3% Sustainable Household Scheme loan add smaller amounts on top.

Note that the federal FBT exemption operates entirely separately from ACT government programs. There is no rule preventing you from combining it with the concessional emissions-based duty rate and a Sustainable Household Scheme loan.

See the full FBT exemption guide for a complete explanation of how the exemption works, what it does to your taxable income, and how to structure a novated lease correctly. For a head-to-head comparison of novated lease versus car loan, read the novated lease vs car loan guide.

No Road User Charge in the ACT

The ACT does not have a state-level EV road user charge, and no distance-based levy was introduced following the High Court’s 2023 ruling. ACT EV drivers pay no per-kilometre fee, no annual odometer declaration, and no additional EV-specific cost beyond standard vehicle ownership expenses.

This is the same position as Western Australia, South Australia, and most other jurisdictions post the High Court decision. The practical impact is that the per-kilometre running cost of an EV in the ACT is determined entirely by your electricity tariff - there is no hidden government charge adding to the equation.

Stacking ACT Incentives: A Worked Example

To show what the package looks like now that several incentives have wound back, here is a worked example for an ACT buyer purchasing a BYD Atto 3 on a three-year novated lease with a gross salary of $95,000.

The BYD Atto 3 has a drive-away price of approximately $50,000 in the ACT after on-road costs.

Incentive	Saving
Emissions-based duty (lowest VERS band vs higher-emission rate)	~$400
Emissions-based registration (EV discount vs high-emission rate, over 3 yrs)	~$300
Sustainable Household Scheme loan (3% vs 8% car loan over 10 years on $15,000)	~$4,500
FBT exemption + salary packaging (3-yr novated lease, $95k salary)	~$21,000
Total estimated saving	~$26,200

That is a combined benefit of approximately $26,000 on a $50,000 vehicle. The overwhelming majority of it - around $21,000 - comes from the federal FBT exemption, not from ACT programs. Since the stamp duty exemption closed on 1 September 2025 and the free-registration period ended in 2024, the state-level contribution is now modest: a lower emissions-based duty and registration rate, plus a below-market (but no longer free) loan.

For a buyer who cannot access a novated lease - removing the FBT benefit from the table - the remaining ACT benefits (concessional emissions-based duty and registration, plus the 3% loan interest saving) come to roughly $5,000 on the same vehicle. That is a genuine saving, but a far cry from the ~$9,500 the ACT delivered before its incentives were wound back.

How ACT Compares to Other States

The ACT still leads on breadth of EV support, but its lead has narrowed sharply after the stamp duty exemption and free-registration period closed. For buyers who primarily value the federal FBT exemption, the jurisdiction matters little, since that incentive applies equally everywhere.

State	Stamp duty / duty	Registration	Cash/loan incentive	Best for
ACT	Lowest VERS duty band (exemption closed)	Emissions-based (free-rego ended)	$15,000 loan at 3%	Household loan + FBT
NSW	Standard (exemption closed)	Standard	None	Novated lease buyers
WA	Standard	Standard	None (rebate closed)	FBT + low tariffs
QLD	Concessional 2% ZEV band	Standard	None (rebate closed)	Ongoing duty concession
SA	Standard	Standard	None (rebate closed)	Solar + FBT buyers

For full details on other states:

• Queensland EV rebates 2026
• NSW EV rebates 2026
• Victoria EV rebates 2026
• SA EV rebates 2026
• WA EV rebates 2026

Finding the Right EV for ACT Buyers

The ACT’s emissions-based duty and registration reward lower-emission vehicles, and the Sustainable Household Scheme loan is open to a broad range of EVs. Note that from 1 July 2026 the scheme introduces a $60,000 EV price limit for new applicants, so higher-priced models will fall outside the loan from that date. The cheapest electric cars in Australia 2026 guide covers the most affordable options, and the electric car prices guide gives a full market overview.

For ACT buyers, the Sustainable Household Scheme’s $15,000 loan (rising to $20,000 for new applicants from 1 July 2026) is worth weighing against the vehicle price. On a lower-priced vehicle like the BYD Dolphin at under $40,000 drive-away, the loan covers a large share of the purchase price and sits comfortably under the incoming $60,000 price limit.

Use the rebate checker to confirm exactly which incentives are currently active and applicable to the vehicle you are considering.

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The ACT’s EV incentive package in 2026 is still one of the broader ones in the country, but it has been wound back from its peak. The full stamp duty exemption closed on 1 September 2025, two-years-free registration ended in 2024, and the Sustainable Household Scheme loan now charges 3% interest. EVs still pay the lowest emissions-based duty and registration bands, and the federal FBT exemption remains fully available - which is where the bulk of the saving now sits. If you are in the ACT and considering an EV, the FBT exemption via a novated lease is the lever that matters most.