P-plate paradox: Model Y banned, Ram 1500 EV allowed for new drivers

In most Australian states, newly licensed drivers must display a 'P-plate' (probationary plate) and are subject to restrictions on the vehicles they can drive. In Victoria, one key rule limits the power-to-weight ratio of cars that P-platers are allowed to operate — a rule designed for the era of internal combustion engines.

The numbers behind the ban

For families planning to buy an EV that both parents and teenage children can share, this creates a genuine headache. Popular models like the Model Y are effectively ruled out unless the family is willing to wait until their teenager moves off P-plates — a process that can take two or more years.

A wider lesson for EV regulation

Industry groups and consumer advocates in Australia are calling on the Victorian government to review the rules. Until then, families face the ironic situation of being steered away from mainstream EVs and toward heavier, less efficient alternatives — simply because the rulebook has not kept pace with the technology.