World EV Day: Electric cars coming to Australia

Aussies are warming to zero-emissions vehicles and a plethora of new EVs are on the way here

Today is the first World EV Day -- an event that "celebrates the dominant vehicle technology of the future" -- and there are signs that Australians are beginning to get over the fear, uncertainty and doubt that has previously been a hallmark of electric vehicle ownership.

Despite the fact only three mainstream EVs are so far available in Australia -- the Nissan LEAF, Hyundai IONIQ Electric and MINI Electric, all of which are priced around $50,000 -- EV sales tripled in Australia last year and continue to rise in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), in the first eight months of this year, 6694 full-electric, petrol-electric hybrid or plug-in hybrid vehicles were sold Down Under -- an increase of 113.9 per cent compared to the same period in 2019.

Last month (August 2020) was the first time a petrol-electric hybrid was the number one new vehicle sold over any month in Australian motoring history, with nine out of 10 buyers who purchased 4825 Toyota RAV4s choosing the hybrid version.

FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said the industry hopes the first World EV Day will be remembered as a turning point for EVs in this country.

“The inaugural World EV Day comes at a watershed moment for Australia’s e-mobility,” Mr Weber said.

“Business reports have suggested nearly 60 per cent of Australians are considering an EV for their next vehicle. We are seeing the development of vital EV infrastructure and a rapid increase in acceptance of non-combustion driven powertrains.

“The key to more EVs on our roads is making those vehicles more appealing to Australian drivers and the FCAI CO2 Emissions Standard creates an incentive for manufacturers to ensure their most advanced EV technology is available Down Under. We’re already seeing the impact. The World’s best electrified vehicles are making their way here, and people are buying them.”

As of December 2019, FCAI members had achieved a 24.9 per cent reduction in emissions from 2005 levels.

The increased take-up of EVs will accelerate that reduction and it's clear the only way is up for EV sales in Australia.

That will be boosted by a wider selection of cars available in coming months and years, which we’ve listed below.

Note that some of these are not certain to reach the local market, but they’re listed here nonetheless. And we’ve thrown in a couple of fuel-cell vehicles as well.

World EV Day: Electric cars coming to Australia

EV based on second-gen GLA small crossover (late 2020)

Related: More EV news and reviews here

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