The wheels turn as consumer interest in electric vehicles doubles

The Driven

Is the writing on the wall for petrol and diesel vehicles?

As the electric vehicle (EV) market overseas barrels along despite overall drops in auto sales, Australia has been left behind – but new data showing consumer interest in EVs in Australia has doubled, marking a turnaround moment for the local market and the battle to reduce transport-related emissions.

The report, which was issued on Monday by market analysis firm Roy Morgan, tells a tale of transition for the Australian auto market, with the number of Australians planning to buy an electric or hybrid vehicle doubling since year on year since June 2018.

In 2018, a similar report from Roy Morgan showed that 238,000 Australians were planning to go electric next time they purchased a vehicle, and 621,000 were looking at hybrids as an option.

In June 2019, the numbers have jumped considerably – nearly double the number of Australians are now planning a hybrid for their next set of wheels (1,174,000), while 200,000 more are looking at an EV, bringing the number of Australians who want to buy an EV to 438,000, according to Roy Morgan’s data.

Whilst the Roy Morgan survey is reflective of buying intention, it also echoes recent data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) that showed in the first half of 2019, EV sales went up while petrol and diesel car sales remained sluggish.

To read the full story, please go to  RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle dedicated site, The Driven, click here…