EVs Take Charge: More Than 180,000 EVs Now on Australian Roads

EV sales in Australia more than doubled in 2023, a March 15 report reveals.

An electric car at a Canadian Tire charging station in Scarborough, Ont., on June 14, 2023. The Canadian Press/Doug Ives

New electric vehicle sales, including both battery EVs and plug-in hybrids, rose by 120 percent in 2023, according to a report from the Electric Vehicle Council.

In 2023, 98,436 new EVs were bought comprising 8.45 percent of new cars sold (pdf).

“New EV purchases in Australia more than doubled in 2023, compared to 2022, with the total number of EVs on Australian roads now exceeding 180,000,” the report said.

“This growth continues the trend of around a doubling of the new EV market every year since 2020.”

The authors said it would be hard for the local EV market to achieve the same level of exponential growth in percentage terms because the volume of overall sales is now greater.

The Electric Vehicle Council encouraged the government to keep providing incentives to increase EV uptake.

“With continued policy support, the Electric Vehicle Council is confident the market can continue to grow at 30-50 percent per year—in line with what will be required to support the country’s climate targets, while driving down fuel bills for Australians,” the EV Council said.

“The EVC strongly encourages all Australian governments to actively support EV uptake until at least 30 percent EV sales are achieved nationally, after which we expect incentives can be phased out progressively,” the Council said.

“Support from all Australian governments will be necessary for the nation to achieve a 100 percent zero-emission vehicle fleet by 2050—in line with our national and state climate targets of net zero by 2050.”

The national body is pushing for one million EVs to be on Australian roads the end of 2027.

ACT Most Popular Location for EV’s

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) was the most popular jurisdiction for EV sales, with 21.9 percent of new vehicle sales being electric. More than 40 percent of the ACT population work in public service.

Other state and territories trailed far behind the ACT in terms of take-up with 9 percent in New South Wales,  8.3 percent in Queensland, 8 percent in Victoria, 7.8 percent in Tasmania and Western Australia, 6.8 percent in South Australia, and 3.2 percent in the Northern Territory.

The Council also warned it was “carefully monitoring” EV sales nationally after New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia governments pulled incentives in 2023. However, Victoria has abolished a tax on EVs, which could offset the removal of incentives, the Council noted.

In 2023, there were 99 EV models sold in the Australian market, with the Tesla Model Y and 3 as the most popular, followed by the Chinese-made BYD Atto 3

Nearly 350 New Charging Stations Added

Charging infrastructure in Australia also surged by 75 percent in 2023, with 348 new areas added across the country.

“With the EV fleet more than doubling in size during 2023, Australia also saw an increase in the number of public DC charging locations from about 464 at the end of 2022, to about 812 at the end of 2023,” the report stated.

Out of the 348 charging locations that were introduced in Australia in 2023, 130 provide ultrafast charging.

“The deployment of ultrafast charging locations is currently moving slightly quicker than the rapid growth in vehicle numbers, which is good to see,” the EV Council said.

US EV Sales Roar

The Council also provided some statistics on the U.S. market, stating that a “record 1.4 million EVs” were sold in 2023.

“That’s more than the total number of all new vehicles sold in Australia in 2023.”

The report said in 2023, there was a 46 percent growth in battery electric vehicle sales.

“In most circumstances, 46 percent annual growth would be seen as a monumental achievement,” the report said.

Government Continues Support of Vehicle Electrification

Meanwhile, on March 14, in its latest initiative, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese launched a new fleet of 43 electric trucks.

As a result, parcel delivery company Team Global Express will replace a third of its trucks in Western Sydney with electric vehicles.

The federal Labor government will provide $20.1 million of taxpayer funds to support the project via the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).