The High Court has delivered a verdict in favour of two Victorian electric vehicle drivers who successfully contended that Victoria's road user charge was unconstitutional.

The Electric Vehicle Council stated that the outcome is a huge win for Australian drivers and the environment.

Behyad Jafari, the CEO of EVC, said that the High Court's ruling is a pivotal step toward formulating improved policies at the national level. He stressed that while road user charges are not inherently problematic, they should never be designed to discourage the adoption of electric vehicles. 

"The electric vehicle industry warned the Victorian Government this policy was muddleheaded years ago, and the offer has always been on the table to work with the state on a more sensible approach,” Mr Jafari maintains.

The EVC’s stance is that the formulation of any road user charge scheme should be a national endeavour, and Mr Jafari says, “We now look forward to working with the federal government on sensible road funding reform, without singling out drivers who are trying to do the right thing.”

It suggests that such a scheme should encompass all vehicles and factor in the economic implications of emissions.

"Australia's priority should be on boosting the transition to EVs and decarbonising our transport system. There is no need for Australia to be dependent on imported oil today," Mr Jafari recommends.

EVC acknowledges that road funding is undoubtedly a critical governmental concern but says these matters must be approached in the proper sequence.

"Allowing states to simply shake down EV owners for a bit of extra tax is a retrograde approach, and I'm very glad to see the High Court slamming the brakes on that today," comments Mr Jafari.