As demand exceeds supply, the number of electric vehicles on Australian roads rises

Australia's total number of EVs nearly doubled in 2022, with sales data showing that it grew from 44,000 to more over 83,000. Follow our Australia news live blog for the most recent updates. Get our morning and afternoon news emails, a free app, ...

According to research based upon sales data from the Electric Vehicle Council's annual recap, the number of electric vehicles on Australian roads has nearly doubled in the past year. It grew from 44,000 at 2022's beginning to more than 83,000 by 2022.

In Australia, electric vehicles accounted for 3.8% in new vehicle sales in 2022. However, their market share varies greatly by region. The Australian Capital Territory had the strongest market share, with nearly 10% of all new cars purchased in 2022 being electric. This is up from 5% in 2020.

The charging infrastructure, which was severely compromised over the summer holidays with long lines at regional facilities for charging stations, has also improved but not at the same rate as electric car sales. Public chargers rose from 3,413 to 4,943 between 2021 and 2022, while fast chargers rose from 231 to 356 during the same period.

The report calls for the construction of more ultrafast charging stations with multi-bays in regional areas. This will allow drivers to recharge their vehicles on long trips. It also recommends that they be located in urban areas to provide an alternative for drivers who cannot charge their cars at home.

On Friday, more than 440 submissions were published to the Federal Electric Vehicle Strategy. This revealed widespread support for changes that could lower EV prices. The consultation received more than 500 submissions from more than 2,150 people.

There were also calls to increase local production of lithium batteries, electric busses and trucks. However, respondents were divided on whether to ban petrol or diesel cars being sold in Australia and whether motorists should be charged to keep them on the roads.

Many organisations, including energy suppliers and climate groups, supported a fuel efficiency standard in Australia that would encourage more electric cars to be imported into the country.

The new measure, which was already introduced in the US, New Zealand, and the European Union, would establish a limit on pollution for all cars of a brand and impose penalties if they fail to meet it.

Boundless Earth, a non-profit climate action organization, requested that the government consider removing internal combustion engines from sale by 2030. The deadline was set by the Australian Electric Vehicle Association, which named 2035.