Data from VicRoads show they make up 0.013 per cent of the 97,509 vehicles registered in Bendigo – compared with 68,875 petrol, 23,365 diesel, 4018 mixed-fuel and 1219 gas vehicles.

Across Victoria, electric cars make up 0.05 per cent of registered vehicles.

In a submission to the state government’s inquiry into electric vehicles, the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance claimed that Victoria had fallen behind states in other countries in encouraging motorists to consider electric.

The alliance is a network of 12 regional and rural councils, including Bendigo, Loddon, Mount Alexander and Central Goldfields.

Executive officer Rob Law wrote the submission, saying the state government needed to lead the way in introducing policies to bring down electric car costs – and government fleets could create a second hand market.

“In order to realise a mass uptake of electric vehicles will require state government policy incentives and infrastructure investments to accelerate this transition in the short term,” he said.

“Electric vehicles suffer from a demand-infrastructure conundrum, as there is little incentive for people to buy electric vehicles until there is appropriate supportive infrastructure, while those that may be willing to invest in the infrastructure will hold back until there are enough vehicles on the road to support the investment.”

Earlier this year, Tesla announced the next areas of Victoria to receive “supercharger” sites. Bendigo was overlooked.

Bendigo already has four standard Tesla destination chargers – at City Centre Motel, The Good Loaf, Big 4 Caravan Park and Golden Square Motor Inn – which can power an electric car in 9.5 hours.

A supercharger can charge a car in less than an hour.

The Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance is calling for tax credits and zero state sales tax to offset the cost of installing charging equipment.

It also wants 50 per cent registration and stamp duty discounts for electric vehicles for the next five years.

Other ideas include a bulk-buy program to bring in electric vehicles not currently imported to Australia, increasing electric vehicles in government fleets, subsidies for private fleets, and trialing zero emission waste trucks and buses for councils.

They are also calling for more studies into bringing down the cost of hydrogen-powered cars.

Mr Law said the public needed to be made aware of the viability of electric cars.

“One of the greater barriers to electric vehicle uptake is familiarity, so workplaces are a sensible place to grow the industry,” he said.

“Fleet vehicles also help to develop a second hand car industry for electric vehicles.”

The inquiry will hold three public hearings in Melbourne next month before it is expected to report back in March next year.