Australia’s transition to Electric Vehicles (EVs) is taking off.
After lagging behind many other countries, our EV uptake is now accelerating. This is driven by consumer support for the move to EVs now being backed by new and emerging government initiatives and incentives to help kick-start the transition.
This page contains electric vehicle information as well as links to useful resources and websites for everything EV related.
What is an electric vehicle?
EVs are vehicles powered wholly or partly by electricity and are classified into various types.
(BEV) Battery Electric Vehicles – Full EV powered entirely by electricity. Battery EVs produce no tailpipe emissions.
(PHEV) Plug-in Hybrid EV – Have a small battery and a petrol or diesel engine. Can run on either fuel or electricity.
(FCEV) Hydrogen fuel cell EV – Uses a fuel cell instead of a battery.
Other vehicle types.
(HEV) Non-plug-in hybrid electric vehicle – Has regenerative braking that produces electricity.
(ICEV) Internal combustion engine vehicle – Usually petrol or diesel (can also be gas, biofuel, ethanol).
EV uptake incentives mainly provide support for (BEV) and (FCEV) which produce no tailpipe emissions and can be zero emissions when powered by renewable energy.
Electric vehicles have lower running costs and require less maintenance. This results in a lower total cost of ownership than petrol or diesel cars.
EVs are better for the environment because they produce lower carbon emissions and fewer pollutants. Research has shown that even if charged by electricity from a coal-fired power station, an EV still generates lower net emissions than ICEVs. As grid electricity becomes cleaner, EVs also become cleaner.
Because BEVs & FCEVs do not produce tailpipe emissions containing particle and gaseous air pollutants, the transition to low/zero emissions vehicles will mean cleaner air and health benefits, with a reduction in air pollution related illness.
EVs are fun to drive because they deliver full torque instantly, which means they can accelerate much faster than equivalent fuel engine vehicles. The position of the batteries along the bottom of the vehicle lowers the centre of gravity, which results in better handling and cornering, as well as reduced risk of rollover. They also have the convenience of charging at home, rather than spending time making a trip to a service station.
Other benefits of a transition to EVs include new job opportunities across EV and Energy Industries, and new mining opportunities.
Modernisation of road networks, as well as quieter roads.
Improved fuel security and a balanced energy supply.
Transport is the second-highest source of emissions in Australia, and if things were to stay as they are (2021), it is projected that it would become the leading source by 2035.
A transition to electric vehicles powered by renewable energy will be a major contributor towards achieving net-zero emissions.
The main barriers that have slowed EV uptake in Australia are now coming down, and from 2022 onwards a rapid transition will begin to take place. These barriers for electric vehicles until now have been up-front cost, model availability, and range anxiety.
Australia has been slow off the blocks with the take-up of electric vehicles.
Globally, electric vehicles represented 4.2% of light vehicle sales in 2020 (an increase from 2.5% in 2019).
In 2020, 0.78% of vehicles sold in Australia were electric.
For comparison, Germany 13.5%, France 11.3%, UK 10.7%, China 6.2%.
Norway was the world leader in 2020 with almost 75%, followed by Iceland on 45%, and Sweden at 32%.
Interestingly, while USA was 2.3% overall in 2020, California reached 8.3%.
By the 2nd half of 2021, electric vehicles were at around 1.6% of total light vehicles sold in Australia.
One of the factors that has held Australians back from electic vehicle adoption has been lack of availability of EV models. Fortunately this is changing with more models coming to the Australian market. Especially in the lower price range.
EV Models available in Australia
2019 – 22 models (9 BEV, 13 PHEV) with only 6 under $65k AUD
2020 – 28 models with 8 of those under $65k AUD
2021 – 31 models (14 BEV, 17 PHEV) – 14 under $65k AUD
2022 – 27 new models are expected (20 BEV, 7 PHEV) bringing the total to 58.
[BEV – Battery Electric Vehicle | PHEV – Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle]
In comparison, the UK has over 130 models available to choose from.
Electrical Vehicle Council.
The Electric Vehicle Council produces an annual ‘State of Electric Vehicles’ report, packed with information and statistics on electric vehicle related topics.
Aspects covered include EV sales, charging infrastructure, model availability, and EV policies.
Electrical Vehicle Council.
Each year the Electric Vehicle Council conducts a consumer survey to create a snapshot of the attitudes and sentiments of the Australian public relating to EVs.
Notably, for the last 3 years over 50% of respondents said they would consider purchasing an EV as their next car.
You can find all Electrical Vehicle Council reports including the ‘State of EVs’ reports from previous years here
Comparing the stats and info from the current ‘State of EVs’ report to those from previous years can be quite interesting.
While not much has been happening with a National Electric Vehicle Strategy from the Federal Government, our state and territory governments have come to the fore regarding EV Policy and have shown increasing support for electric vehicles.
The ‘State of Electric Vehicles 2021’ report by the Electric Vehicle Council has a detailed section on EV policy, initiatives & incentives starting on page 13.
The NSW Government is investing almost $500 million dollars to drive uptake and reduce barriers for electric vehicle purchases over the next four years.
Net Zero Plan Stage 1: 2020-2030 Implementation Update
Websites • Publications • Articles
Reports • Guides • Tools & Calculators
A national body that represents the electric vehicle industry in Australia.
• EV Guide – Makes & Models
• Charging infrastructure and locations information
• EV Reports & Publications
• Consumer surveys
• Vehicle running cost calculator
https://electricvehiclecouncil.com.au/
• Vehicle model comparison tool
• Top 20 Performers & Sellers lists
https://www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au/
Online Publication – EV News, articles, podcasts, reviews.
https://thedriven.io/
Article: The top ten electric vehicle myths that need to be debunked
https://thedriven.io/2021/11/03/top-10-urban-myths-about-electric-vehicles-that-deserve-to-die/
EV Fleet planning, implementation & management
NSW ELECTRIC VEHICLE FAST CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE MASTER PLAN
NSW Department of Planning, Industry, and Environment (DPIE)
Open-access interactive map tool → https://nswmaps.evenergi.com/
NSW Government’s Electric Vehicle Strategy
https://www.nsw.gov.au/initiative/nsw-governments-electric-vehicle-strategy
Australian Renewable Energy Agency
https://arena.gov.au/
Electric Vehicles Renewable Energy
Australia’s National Science Agency
https://www.csiro.au/
Climate change Q&A
https://www.csiro.au/en/research/environmental-impacts/climate-change/Climate-change-QA
EV owners have a few different methods of charging available, and there are 2 aspects of EV charging that are important to know; Charging Levels and Charging Types.
EV charging can be either AC or DC, depending on the charging level. The main determining factor for charging level will be the charging location, whether it be at home, work, public car parks, or fast charging stations.
The Charging Level refers to the rate at which you can charge your EV battery. The different charge rates are designated as Level 1, 2, and 3. Generally, a higher level provides a faster charging rate.
Charging Type refers to the physical plug and socket connection for the vehicle charging. These are designated as Type 1 & Type 2, or by the name of the connector type (J1772, Mennekes, etc)
The different plug and socket types can affect charger compatibility and charge rates. Adaptor cables are available to convert between types.
This section is being updated with the latest information.
If you have any questions about these topics, feel free to send us a message using the enquiry form here.
Electric vehicles and solar power go hand-in-hand as a powerful duo in our endeavor to reduce global carbon emissions and make the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
Many Australian homes already have solar power, and sooner than we may realise, we will also have electric vehicles parked in the garage. Charging EVs from renewable energy produced by our own solar power systems will be commonplace.
This section is a work in progress with more info to be added over the coming weeks.
If you have any questions about these topics, feel free to send us a message using the enquiry form here.
The energy storage capacity of an EV battery is measured in units of energy called kilowatt-hours (kWh). This is the same unit of measurement used for home solar batteries and for energy purchased on an electricity bill.
The capacity of an EV battery varies greatly depending on the Make and Model and can be as low as 17kWh up to over 100kWh. Most EV models are in the range of 40kWh – 70 kWh battery capacity.
Solar power system size & scalability.
Solar storage capacity.
Making best use of stored energy.
Energy diversion is commonly used to divert excess solar production to water heating systems instead of sending it to the grid.
Surplus solar production can also be diverted to charge an EV battery.
An integrated charger is a 2-in-1 unit that combines a Solar Inverter and EV Charger into one device. They have some advantages over using a separate charger and can provide key benefits, but may also have some limitations in some situations.
If you would like to know more abut the pros and cons of integrated chargers, please feel free to get in touch with us.
Vehicle to Grid (V2G) is a system where energy stored in an electric vehicle battery can be discharged to the electricity grid.
Similarly, Vehicle to Home (V2H) can make use of energy stored in an EV battery to power home appliances.
V2G and V2H systems require a special type of bi-directional charging device.
V2G technology is under trial and development, and its availability and compatibility is limited (at the time of writing) and won’t be widely available until further down the track.
Article: Vehicle to Grid – An Overview
https://www.evenergi.com/vehicle-to-grid-an-overview
News: EV chargers for V2G and V2H to arrive in Australia
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2022-02-14/electric-vehicle-first-ev-chargers-v2g-v2h-to-arrive-australia/100811130
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