In January 2025, Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standards will come into effect, establishing stricter fuel efficiency requirements for all new cars entering the Australian market.

When similar programs were rolled out in countries like New Zealand and the UK, they resulted in sharp increases in the uptake of EVs and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). All indications suggest we can expect the same to happen here, with record YoY sales of EVs and PHEVs happening already in the last two years.

Despite this rising interest, many still express hesitation and distrust toward EV technology. A recent Smart Ease survey revealed that only 21% of respondents were interested in purchasing an EV, citing several common concerns.

Are their concerns justified? Let’s explore.

“I’m worried that my EV battery will run out while driving.”

Range anxiety has long been the greatest concern people have about EVs.

A decade ago, this concern was valid. But today’s EVs can travel 300–600 km on a single charge. Meanwhile, the average Australian drives just 43 km per day (1). In theory, even at the lowest range, an EV could drive from A to B for a week on a single charge.

For long-distance drives, rapidly growing, public fast-charging infrastructure, portable EV chargers, and mobile apps like PlugShare that map EV chargers make these journeys increasingly achievable.

“I don’t trust the safety of current EV technology. I’d like to wait until it’s more advanced.”

The most common EV safety concerns are fears of lithium battery fires, vehicle weight and crash performance.

Lithium battery fires

As of September 2024, there have been just six EV battery fires in Australia out of more than 180,000 EVs on the road.

Statistically, the available data shows that the fire risk is between 20 and 80 times greater for petrol and diesel vehicles (2) than for an EV.

Vehicle weight

While it’s true that EVs are generally heavier than their ICE counterparts, and so could potentially do more damage to an ICE vehicle in a collision, this is also true for standard utes and trucks.

In fact, a standard ute tends to be heavier than the average ICE vehicle and EVs (3).

Crash performance

Because EV batteries are typically placed under the vehicle’s floor, their weight and lower centre of gravity help to prevent rollover incidents associated with a higher rate of fatalities (4).

Also, because they’re newer, EVs and PHEVs are typically equipped with the latest safety technology.

When it comes to safety, EVs perform well compared to traditional ICE vehicles. While advancements will likely improve safety, current standards are already high.

“There aren’t enough public chargers available.”

This is a valid concern.

While public EV chargers are popping up at an incredible rate – last year Australia saw a 75% increase in the number of public EV charging locations (5) – experts say public charging capabilities still lag behind where they should be.

Currently, EV-charging usually takes place at home. While this may be the case for the next couple of years, considerable federal and state funding for public EV charging is a promising sign that a robust public EV-charging system is on the horizon.

“EVs are way too expensive.”

Like range anxiety, this was once a genuine concern.

But increased market competition and plummeting battery costs have made EVs more affordable than ever.

You can buy a brand new EV in Australia for less than $40,000 (6), similar in price to ICE vehicles.

“EVs aren’t suitable for regional areas, farm settings or off-roading.”

The current range of an average EV is 300–600 km, which is ample for most drivers – even in regional or rural areas.

Earlier this year, the first electric utes arrived in Australia. Electric utes offer many advantages over ICE vehicles, including instant torque, fast acceleration, the ability to power devices and tools, and even the capacity to tow heavy loads – though this does tend to impact driving range (7).

As more models of electric utes become available, we will likely see reduced prices and increased capabilities, increasing their suitability for farm settings and off-roading.

Many of the most common EV concerns are simply outdated and no longer valid. With ambitious Net Zero targets and a booming EV market, technological advancements continue to occur rapidly.

As a result, the EVs of today are not only safe, cost-effective and environmentally friendly, they’re increasingly more efficient than their ICE counterparts.

[1] https://www.compareinsurance.com.au/car-insurance/car-insurance-calculator

[2] https://www.swinburne.edu.au/news/2023/09/electric-vehicle-fires-are-very-rare-the-risk-for-petrol-and-diesel-vehicles-is-at-least-20-times-higher/

[3] https://www.mynrma.com.au/electric-vehicles/basics/are-evs-safe

[4] https://www.mynrma.com.au/electric-vehicles/basics/are-evs-safe

[5] https://hamiltonlocke.com.au/the-future-of-ev-charging-infrastructure-in-australia/

[6] https://www.mynrma.com.au/electric-vehicles/buying/the-most-affordable-electric-vehicles-in-australia

[7] https://www.mynrma.com.au/electric-vehicles/buying/electric-utes-australia

The 2023 Australian Federal Budget brings good news for commercial solar installers, as new tax breaks have been introduced to encourage businesses to invest in solar and energy-efficiency projects.

The 9 May announcements were welcomed by the Smart Energy Council, which has described the Budget as a “significant step in responding to climate change and positioning Australia as a renewables superpower”.

On 19 April, the Australian Government announced its National Electric Vehicle Strategy (NEVS).  

NEVS focuses on increasing the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) to reduce emissions. It also presents significant opportunities for businesses supplying EV charging infrastructure.  

We sat down with Carola Jonas, CEO & Founder of EV-charging experts Everty, to discuss the objectives and opportunities presented by NEVS.  

There’s no doubt 2022 brought with it a unique set of challenges and shocks. With geopolitical instability, government changes, lingering pandemic effects and rises in inflation, interest and the cost of living, there was enough bad news to deflate even the most determined optimist.

Believe it or not, there were a lot of good news stories too. Head into the holiday season with a smile on your face thanks to this round-up of our 10 favourite good news stories from the world of decarbonisation.

1. New builds in EU countries will now have to have solar panels

The ongoing war in Ukraine has seen European countries turning away from Russian gas in droves. This has rapidly escalated the switch to renewable energy, with plans for half of the EU’s energy to come from renewables by 2030.

A new ‘solar rooftop initiative’ has made it mandatory for all new buildings to have solar panels by 2029, which is expected to double the amount of solar energy being produced. 

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2. Queensland windfarm to provide enough power for 1.4m homes with new $2bn investment

Closer to home, one of Australia’s biggest windfarms announced in November that it will double its capacity to 2,000MW. The extension will enable the farm to supply enough power for 1.4m homes, hastening Queensland’s exit from fossil fuel−sourced electricity.

The windfarm is owned by Spain’s Acciona Energia and is found within the MacIntyre Precinct, a region about 200km south-west of Brisbane which is being developed in partnership with CleanCo, the Queensland government’s renewable energy arm.

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