Almost a third of EV owners want ICE back: report
New study shows a growing number of electric vehicle owners are eying a return to petrol, diesel and hybrid powerEV sales are still charging in Australia, unlike is some other markets, but a growing number of existing battery-electric vehicle (EV) owners both here and abroad are eying a return to internal combustion engine (ICE) powered vehicles.
That’s the key takeout from new research conducted by McKinsey & Co, which recently surveyed 30,000 EV drivers across 15 different countries – of which 29 per cent (8700) indicated they’d probably go back to a petrol, diesel or hybrid vehicle for their next purchase.
This sentiment was especially common among the Australian participants in the study, nearly half (49%) of which said they’d go back to a combustion-powered car primarily due to the lack of EV charging infrastructure – a common theme among all countries included in the survey.
Of the 8700 people (globally) who said they likely wouldn’t purchase another EV, 35 per cent said the available infrastructure wasn’t good enough yet, while 34 per cent said ownership costs were too high.
Other reasons cited for not purchasing another EV included the inability to recharged at home (24%), range anxiety (21%), changing mobility requirements (16%) and a lack of driving enjoyment (13%).
carsales’ own data has the percentage of dissatisfied EV customers at a much lower 10 per cent, however, the number of people planning to return to combustion power doubled last month – from four to eight per cent.
Despite most state government EV subsidies now being scrapped in Victoria, NSW, South Australia and – soon – the ACT, Aussies are still snapping up EVs in record numbers with overall sales up 26.8 per cent so far this year (to May 31).
Odds are that trend will continue upwards with the vast array of more affordable new mainstream EVs due to arrive in Australia over the next 18 months, many of them in the popular small and medium SUV segments and expected to bring sharp pricing and competitive aftersales incentives.
Currently, Australia’s best-selling EV is the Tesla Model 3 (9610), followed closely by its mid-size SUV sibling, the Model Y (8823), which was the nation’s top-selling EV and the sixth most popular new vehicle overall in 2023, when EV sales topped 87,000 units and accounted for 7.2 per cent of total industry sales.
Related: Which Australian states offer the best EV incentives?
Related: VFACTS May: Toyota hybrids drive Aussie car market to new heights
Related: 12 new Chinese auto brands coming to Australia soon
For everything you auto know about EVs, listen to carsales' Watts Under the Bonnet: the electric car podcast
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
