What happens if I don’t declare my odometer reading on 1 July 2021 or the date the first declaration is requested?
If you delay in providing your odometer declaration, any missed days will be added onto your invoice after you declare your odometer declaration based upon your average use throughout your registration period.
For example: If your odometer declaration is requested on 1 July and you don’t declare until 12 July, at the end of your period an additional 12 days’ use will be added to your invoice.
This only applies to your initial odometer declaration, as for all future periods your use is calculated from end-period to end-period odometer.
When do I need to provide my odometer reading?
VicRoads will notify all ZLEV registered operators when their odometer readings are due.
ZLEV registered operators will be informed that they're required to declare an initial reading, either on 1 July 2021 or upon the subsequent acquisition of a new or used ZLEV.
Once a vehicle's start-period odometer reading has been declared further readings will be requested coinciding with the vehicle's registration renewal period.
If the vehicle's registration is transferred or cancelled VicRoads will request an end-period odometer reading.
How will I be notified to provide my odometer reading?
ZLEV registered operators with a myVicRoads account (External link) will receive notifications by email to submit their odometer declarations.
Customers who don't have accounts with myVicRoads will receive notifications delivered by mail to their registered address.
How can I declare my odometer reading?
Using a myVicRoads account (External link) ZLEV registered operators can submit their odometer readings online at www.vicroads.vic.gov.au (External link). They will need to upload a photo of their odometer reading.
Customers who don't have accounts with myVicRoads (External link) are encouraged to sign up. If they choose not to use a myVicRoads account, they will need to visit a VicRoads Customer Service Centre and make an odometer declaration over the counter. They will need to bring with them photographic verification of their odometer reading.
Do I need to provide an odometer declaration if my vehicle is brand new?
Customers who purchase a new ZLEV that has significant kilometres recorded on the odometer (an ex-demonstrator vehicle) are recommended to submit a start-period odometer declaration.
If a purchaser does not submit a start-period odometer declaration the first distance-based charge will be calculated from 0km.
What happens if I fail to declare my odometer reading?
ZLEV registered operators will be sent requests via email or mail for their odometer reading.
Registered operators have 14 days from the date of request to provide their odometer reading before the penalty process commences. Failure to comply may result in an automatic pro-rata* invoice based on a yearly travelled estimate of 13,500km, or a penalty process that may lead to registration suspension or cancellation. (*If a ZLEV operator has had a vehicle registered in their name for 179 days, then their usage estimate will be (13,500km/365) x 179 = 6,620km.)
For brand new vehicles, the starting odometer will be assumed to be 0km if the start-period odometer reading is not declared by the ZLEV registered operator.
What happens if I don’t pay my ZLEV invoice?
Registered operators have 14 days from the date of request to provide their odometer reading before a penalty process commences.
Failure to comply with the scheme will result in the suspension and cancellation of vehicle registration.
If you don’t pay your ZLEV invoice and the vehicle is no longer registered in your name, you will accrue penalty interest and may be subject to civil penalties.
What do I do if I want to change my ZLEV odometer?
If you didn’t claim an exemption on distance travelled, you can visit a VicRoads Customer Service Centre (External link) to provide evidence to our staff. The evidence will be sent for review and you'll be contacted within 7 to 10 business days.
What types of travel are exempt from ZLEV road-user charge?
If you believe your ZLEV invoice has been incorrectly calculated or you didn’t claim an exemption on distance travelled, you can visit a VicRoads Customer Service Centre (External link) to provide evidence to our staff. The evidence will be sent for review and you'll be contacted within 7 to 10 business days.
The following travel is exempt from ZLEV charge:
- Use on private roads – distances travelled by ZLEVs on private roads or agricultural lands
Licensed Motor Car Traders (LMCTs) are exempt from the road-user charge for the first 1,500km of travel in the first registration period (irrespective of the length of the period). This exemption is intended to cover any short periods of ZLEV use, such as new vehicle pre-delivery or vehicle transfer, without the need to provide evidence to claim exemption.
What evidence can I provide to claim an exemption?
All evidence provided to support exemption claims must identify the vehicle.
Evidence that can be provided to support exemption claims is:
- Proof of address for rural properties
- Proof of employment (eg. agriculture)
- Photographs of the relevant vehicle's odometer and other photographs to support an application for an exemption
- Diarised entries in electronic or manual logbooks
- Telemetric data with global position system capabilities
- Inputs and outputs from in-vehicle tracking applications, including any applications developed by the Department of Transport
Can I still get the hybrid or electric vehicle registration discount?
ZLEV registered operators who are subject to distance-based charges will continue to receive a $100 registration discount on their annual Victorian registration.
Conventional hybrid vehicles, predominantly powered by a petrol or diesel internal combustion engine, will no longer be eligible for a $100 registration discount on their annual Victorian vehicle registration.
Learn more about the registration discount (External link).
Are there any changes to motor vehicle stamp duty for low emission vehicles?
No, there will be no changes to the motor vehicle stamp duty (External link) concession for all low emission passenger vehicles which produce 120 grams or less of carbon dioxide emissions per kilometre travelled.
Are there exemptions for Licensed Motor Car Traders?
Licensed Motor Car Traders (LMCTs) are exempt from the road-user charge for the first 1,500km of travel in the first registration period (irrespective of the length of the period). This exemption is intended to cover any short periods of ZLEV use, such as new vehicle pre-delivery or vehicle transfer, without the need to provide evidence to claim exemption.
What if I have been notified that verification performed on my ZLEV has failed?
Odometer declarations are audited by VicRoads to ensure that declarations have not been made fraudulently. If a declaration has failed an audit, the registered operator will be notified to provide further evidence to support their odometer declaration or to visit a Customer Service Centre for inspection within 14 days.
Why is the ZLEV road-user charge being increased?
VicRoads collects the ZLEV road-user charge on behalf of the Victorian Government as described in the Zero and Low Emission Vehicle Distance-based Charge Act 2021.
The Victorian Government collects fees and charges that are indexed annually. As with vehicle registrations, license renewals and other fees that VicRoads collects for the Victorian Government, the charges are indexed to maintain their real value. The Zero and Low Emission Vehicle Distance-based Charge Act 2021 mandates that the ZLEV road user charge is indexed annually.
When does the ZLEV fee increase the effect?
The new rate is charged for distances travelled by ZLEVs in the 2022-23 financial year.
All road use prior to 1 July 2022 will be charged at the current 2021-22 rate of 2.5 cents/km for BEVs (battery electric vehicles) and 2.0 cents/km for PHEVs (plug-in hybrid vehicles).
How is the ZLEV charge calculated when my odometer-declaration period takes in part of both the 2021-22 year and the 2022-23 year?
Your odometer-declaration period is fixed to your registration renewal. You may have opted to pay your vehicle registration every 3 months, 6 months or yearly.
If this period takes in days at the 2021-22 rate as well as days at the 2022-23 rate, then your total declared kilometres will be calculated as a per-day average across the duration.
For example, if you're on a 6-monthly registration-renewal cycle that falls due on 1 March 2022 and again on 1 September 2022 and you declare 8,000km for that period, then you will be charged for 43.48km per day for the 184 days. The first 122 days (1 March to 1 July) will be charged at the 2021-22 rate; the subsequent 62 days (1 July to 1 September) will be charge at the 2022-23 rate.