How Aussie interest in EVs stacks up to its global counterparts

Electric vehicle charging (EVs fleet)

A recent survey has revealed that Australia’s interest in electric vehicles (EVs) is well behind its global counterparts.

The Fourth Annual Global Mobility Study by L.E.K. Consulting, Vision Mobility and CuriosityCX was conducted in Australia, France, Germany, Spain, the UK, the USA, Canada, China, and India.

The study found that:

  • Only a minority of Australians have adopted electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles, with just three per cent of respondents claiming to own an EV or hybrid
  • Interest in either EVs or hybrids is relatively low compared to the rest of the world
    • 34 per cent of Australians are either interested or very interested in hybrid and 33 per cent in EVs;
    • The average across surveyed countries is 48 per cent for hybrid and 45 per cent for EVs.
  • Australian respondents cited cost, driving range and a lack of charging options as the three major impediments to ownership.

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LEK Consulting partner Mark Streeting said, “Australia’s wide expanse makes it hard for drivers to contemplate being stuck without a place to charge.

“The distance between major cities adds anxiety about the capability of EVs to make it from A to B, despite an uptick in publicly-available infrastructure.

“However, the major impediment according to this study remains the cost, with the lowest-price EV on the market, the Hyundai Ioniq, coming it at around $45,000. And with no resale market yet established, Internal Combustion Engines remain the go-to choice for new or used vehicle purchases.

“But as batteries become more efficient to produce, these costs should come down. Publicly-available infrastructure continues to be deployed along major routes in Australia through operators such as Evie Networks, Chargefox and the NRMA.

“To further accelerate the adoption of EVs in Australia and globally, car manufacturers must put greater emphasis on bringing down the cost of vehicles and improving battery mileage. They also need to work more intently with governments and the broader industry to improve charging infrastructure.”

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Key global findings

  • 70 per cent of respondents in India and 57 per cent in China said they now use new mobility options instead of their car or public transport, versus 16 per cent of people in the UK, 14 per cent in France and nine per cent in Germany.
  • More than half of Indian respondents (55 per cent) and four in 10 Chinese reported using a ride-hailer in the last three months. In Europe, ride-hailing use in countries surveyed ranges from 25 per cent to 15 per cent.
  • In the USA, the earliest adopter of new mobility transport, the proportion of people using a ride-hailer has remained relatively static over the last three years at around 25 per cent – and declined to 24 per cent in 2019. E-scooter use increased by the same proportion in the last year, from three per cent to four per cent.
  • Across the countries surveyed, 40 per cent to 60 per cent of people, especially millennials, said they would not own a car if they did not have to.
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