How Australia can lead the electric vehicle revolution

While the rest of the world seems to be surging ahead with its embrace of electric vehicles (EVs), Australia seems to be largely oblivious. A recent Nielsen survey shone a spotlight on our pace of adoption compared to our European counterparts and their nervousness around the sector.

According to the ABS, the average Australian commutes a distance of 16 kilometres a day – a very easy distance for a two or four-wheeled electric vehicle. In Sydney and Melbourne, many commuters could manage the working week without having to charge their vehicle.

EV drivers and riders need predictable easy access to free charging stations whether they are charging daily or weekly and we simply do not have that yet in Australia with fewer than 800 charging points across the country. Compare that with Germany which has 20,000 charging stations and whose Chancellor Angela Merkel announced this month a plan to have a million by 2030.

A recent report by Australia’s Electric Vehicle Council shows the range of EV models has increased significantly this year so I would suggest that there is simply not enough promotion of the choices available for those interested in EVs whether they be four or two wheeled.

Chargers

Very little material progress seems to have been made since then.
The Australian Government needs to act now if it wants to nurture this nascent market.
They need to back projects like Evie Network’s.

Cost

It’s also clear that without a government-backed program of incentives
Australians’ adoption of electric vehicles will remain far behind that of
our European counterparts. “Green” initiatives, grants, incentives for
buyers and users as well as encouraging private sector investment
could all help Australia become a leader in the region with EV adoption.

Perception

There also needs to be consumer education around the total cost of ownership over the lifespan of an electric vehicle as well as around options like leasing. Again, government support and initiatives would make a huge difference here.