<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/20/australian-car-buyers-electric-ev-hybrid-mainstream>
"The era of an electric vehicle as a lifestyle statement in Australia is over –
they’re now firmly mainstream.
Analysis of auction figures and data collected by the NRMA shows that most
former deterrents – including high upfront prices and weak resale values – have
been corrected, paving the way for a surge in sales that’s been accelerated by
the oil crisis.
Nicole Taylor, a broker at Loan Market, says about one in three loans are now
put towards EVs.
“I’ve been in the car sector for about 20 years and over the last two, that
cautiousness in the market has been disappearing fast,” Taylor says.
“Clients are comfortable that there’s infrastructure for EV owners, that there
are technicians that can actually service these cars and spare parts will be
available. All of those costs have come down dramatically.”
Sales hit a record in May, with EVs and plug-in hybrids accounting for 30% of
new vehicles sold, according to the Electric Vehicle Council.
Tesla’s Model Y was Australia’s bestselling car that month, muscling out its
combustion engine competitors. Meanwhile, Chinese brands including BYD and
GWM-owned Haval have been rapidly increasing their share of the EV market.
Chinese makers now account for well over half of Australia’s EV market,
Commonwealth Bank analysis shows.
The influx of new electric models has meant the upfront price difference from
petrol vehicles has narrowed dramatically, while EV buyers also benefit from
lower running costs.
NRMA’s car ownership report found that there are now at least five EVs priced
around or below the $30,000 mark, all of which are Chinese brands.
Inadequate infrastructure still poses the single biggest barrier to further
growth, with the Commonwealth Bank noting this week that a lack of public
charging infrastructure represents the key obstacle to Australia adopting
commercial EVs such as electric trucks."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
