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Buying an EV. It seems to be the new hot topic – in the office, at the school gate, at the pub – even (if only temporarily) knocking talk of exorbitant property prices off its perch.
It's not just anecdotal. More EVs were sold in Australia in March 2026 than in any month prior, Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and the Electric Vehicle Council combined figures showed, with 15,839 purchased.
That's 14.6 per cent of all new car sales in the month – about double the share in March 2025.
But if you're among the Aussies seriously considering jumping on the electric bandwagon, there's one important caveat to consider when making your choice. Especially if you have – or are about to have – a P-plate driver in the house.
Yes, of the 288 current-release electric cars available, more than 40 per cent are banned for P-plate drivers in New South Wales, with a further four variants under review, according to an analysis of Redbook data.
Victoria has also banned certain EVs for P-platers, though fewer of them are on the no-drive list – about 30 per cent.
Why are some cars banned for P-platers?
In NSW and Victoria P-platers are prohibited from driving cars with a power-to-weight ratio of more than 130 kilowatts per tonne.
South Australia and Queensland also have rules prohibiting P-platers from driving cars with power-to-weight ratios greater than 130kW/t, but they only apply to probationary drivers under the age of 25.
In NSW, however, some cars with power-to-weight ratios less than the 130kW/t cut-off are also banned, as they have "other specifications or data suggesting that it is a high risk for novice drivers".
"High-performance vehicles have greater acceleration and power than other vehicles. The more power a vehicle's engine has compared to its weight, the more acceleration it can deliver," the NSW Government website states.
Below is a list of all the current-release EVs banned for P-platers in NSW. It's important to note that for some makes and models, only specific variants are banned, while for others the ban includes all variants – even some that are allowed in Victoria.
Victoria – though still strict on which cars P-platers can and cannot drive when compared with the majority of the country – is a little more lenient than NSW.
There are also a few exemptions where P-platers can drive banned cars, such as if they are supervised by a driver with a full licence or must drive the car for work.
The Transport Victoria website states probationary drivers cannot drive both vehicles with a power-to-weight ratio of 130kW/t or more and those with a 'banned rating' on the probationary vehicle database.
However, none of the current-release EVs marked as banned according to Redbook have power-to-weight ratios higher than 130kW/t.
In many instances, variants of the same model with lower power-to-weight ratios are still banned in NSW, but are allowed in Victoria. For example, the BYD Seal – only one variant is banned in Victoria, the Performance Auto AWD with its 178.5kW/t power-to-weight ratio, whereas in NSW, the 111.9kW/t Premium Auto variant is also banned.
One of the notable models where all current-release variants are banned in both states is the Tesla Model Y, the variant with the lowest power-to-weight ratio – the Premium Rear-Wheel Drive Auto – still doesn't make the cut-off at 132.7kW/t.
The EVs on in the table below are banned for P-platers in Victoria, and also likely have restrictions in South Australia and Queensland.
Jemimah is Drive's Consumer Editor. She has more than a decade of editorial experience and has previously worked in property and lifestyle journalism for Domain, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and REA Group, among many other publications.
