Matt Kean has aimed a barb at his federal colleagues over electric cars, saying they are coming to Australia "whether Barnaby Joyce likes it or not".
The NSW Treasurer on Wednesday also claimed the Commonwealth could "obviously do a lot more" to encourage the uptake of zero-emissions vehicles.
Mr Kean made the comments as he unveiled $105 million in incentives for taxi and rideshare operators to make the switch, a day after Prime Minister Scott Morrison unveiled his own plan for 1.7 million electric vehicles by 2030.
"It's great the federal government is getting on board the EV revolution, but they can obviously do a lot more," Mr Kean said.
"This is a revolution which is coming whether Barnaby Joyce likes it or not."
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He said, with fleet operators selling their cars every three to four years, encouraging them to buy electric vehicles would create a second-hand market in Australia.
The announcement took the NSW government's spending on electric vehicles to just under $600 million. It was the second state Coalition government to announce extra investment in the technology on Wednesday, with Tasmania revealing plans to build 43 new charging ports.
Mr Kean said NSW was on track for electric vehicles to account for 50 per cent of new cars on its roads by 2030.
"We don't just think EVs are going to revolutionise the weekend, we think they're going to revolutionise every day of the week," he said.
The comments could be interpreted as a barb at Mr Morrison, who before the 2019 election claimed a similar target from federal Labor would "end the weekend".
Electric vehicle manufacturers have been hesitant to enter the Australian market without policy certainty or infrastructure investment, but Mr Kean insisted NSW was "working closely" with the industry.
"They're telling me that this package is what is exactly needed to encourage them to bring new vehicles into the market. That's exciting," he said.
The Prime Minister on Tuesday reversed his criticism of electric vehicles, which he had previously claimed could not tow trailers or "get you to your favourite camping spot with your family".
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Finn McHugh
Finn McHugh has been federal political reporter for The Canberra Times since July 2021. He joined the Canberra Press Gallery in 2019 where he was executive producer of Sky News's AM Agenda, before joining NCA NewsWire as a federal political reporter. He has previously interned at the Kuwait Times.
Finn McHugh has been federal political reporter for The Canberra Times since July 2021. He joined the Canberra Press Gallery in 2019 where he was executive producer of Sky News's AM Agenda, before joining NCA NewsWire as a federal political reporter. He has previously interned at the Kuwait Times.
