Almost half the car buyers in Australia see themselves behind the wheel of an electric vehicle in about a decade.
Those are the results from a survey of 3000 people undertaken by national industry body the Electric Vehicle Council via the website carsales.com.au.
Fifty-four per cent of respondents would consider purchasing an electric vehicle (EV) as their next car, while 49 per cent see themselves driving an electric vehicle in 2030.
“Australians are now well and truly ready to go electric,” Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Behyad Jafari said.
“This survey shows we understand the personal benefits and we’re also ready to start contributing to the societal advantages of the electric transition.”
Four in ten people said they would be encouraged to buy an EV if government subsidies were available to assist with the initial cost.
Half would pay more for an equivalent electric car compare to petrol or diesel, while 92 per cent agreed public charging infrastructure was important in encouraging them to go electric.
Data released by the Electric Vehicle Council in August showed 8688 battery and plug-in EVs were sold in the first half in 2021, more than in any calendar year.
It accounted to 1.57 per cent of all light vehicle sales, an increase from the 0.78 per cent recorded across the entirety of 2020.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency says EVs are expected to match petrol vehicles on both up front price and range by the mid-2020s.
It concedes electric car uptake in the country is lower than other developed countries but will grow as cheaper models arrive and more charging infrastructure is rolled out.
The federal government earlier this year indicated it is not considering direct financial help for motorists to purchase EVs.
States and territories have various incentives, with South Australia and NSW offering $3000 for EV buyers.
Victoria has copped criticism for introducing a levy of up to 2.5 cents per kilometre for EV users in July.
AAP
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