Electric vehicle uptake in Australia is booming, with the industry recording a 120% increase in sales over the past year, according to a new report on the industry. There are now more than 180,000 EVs on Australian roads, with 98,436 of those bought last year, according to a report by the Australian Electric Vehicle Industry Recap 2023.
Related: Toyota Says EVs ‘Impractical’ for Australian Drivers
The report also showed that charging infrastructure locations increased by 75% on a year-over-year basis, with 812 charging stations now in place across Australia. Tesla Model Y and Model 3 lead the way in Australian EV sales followed closely by the BYD Atto 3, MG4, and MG ZS EV.
Despite this, EVs still account for 1% of all light vehicles in Australia, the report stated that there is “more work to be done” if Australia has a hope of reaching its 2050 zero emissions targets. The Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) of Australia advocates for a target of one million EVs on Australian roads by 2027, but efforts to boost EV uptake are hampered by the low supply of new EVs to Australia, which is in turn affected by the absence of a new vehicle efficiency standard, the report stated.
Related: Toyota Wants Australia’s Proposed Emissions Standard to be Watered Down
The chief executive of EVC, Behyad Jafari, said it was “genuinely exciting to see the electric vehicle revolution now rolling out all over Australia”. He said:
“To sustain this positive trajectory we need sensible reform. The federal government’s new vehicle efficiency standards are a crucial step that finally brings Australia into line with the rest of the developed world. EVs are no longer a novelty, they are a core part of everyday Australian lives. Hopefully, the abundant benefits of switching to an EV will be embraced by millions more Australians as the decade progresses,”
The report also highlighted the state of the US EV market, which it said continued to grow significantly despite claims made to the contrary by those with “vested interests” in slowing EV sales. In the US, about 1.4 million EVs were sold in 2023 – more than the total number of all new vehicles sold in Australia in the same period.
Source: The Guardian
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
