Tesla owners say range anxiety is no problem

Electric vehicle range anxiety is a myth… at least according to the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) and 741 Australian Tesla owners.

That’s the conclusion being drawn from a recent survey carried out by the EVC and Tesla Owners Club of Australia (TOCA).

In what’s believed to be the largest study of its type, the survey revealed that 89 per cent of respondents cover more than 10,000km in their cars annually, while 38 per cent cover more than 20,000km.

These figures compare to a national average mileage of 11,100km for all motorists, something that EVC chief executive Behyad Jafari says “puts another nail in the coffin of the myth that driving range is an issue for EV owners”.

“We know range anxiety is a major impediment to people buying EVs,” he said. “This finding is yet another reason showing there is nothing to fear.”

In addition, just over half of the survey respondents said they had saved more than $2000 in fuel money per year, while 77 per cent saved more than $1000.

Forty-one per cent of the participants said they’d also saved more than $1000 in maintenance costs, while ‘technology’ and ‘environment’ were the two most common reasons cited for buying a Tesla.

Beyhard reiterated the need for more government action at a national level, both in terms of “long-overdue” fuel-efficiency standards and “a fringe benefits tax exemption for workplace charging”.

“Ten per cent of respondents charged their vehicles at work, indicating there is ample scope for employers to install charging infrastructure,” he said.

“If Australia introduced a fringe benefits tax exemption for workplace charging it would help align EV charging with daytime excess solar energy generation.”

TOCA president Pete Thorne said more research should be done regarding the preferences of younger drivers given that 88 per cent of survey participants were over 40, and that this research should be taken into account when deciding federal government EV policies.

“With just 12 per cent of respondents aged under 40, there is the need to do more research to understand the preferences of younger drivers who may want to own an EV in the future,” he said.

The popularity of EVs is undoubtedly accelerating in Australia, where 14,524 of the 717,575 new vehicles sold to August this year were battery-electric – a 368 per cent increase over the same period last year.

Hybrid vehicles – in particular those with Toyota badges – are still the preferred form of electrification (54,699), but they have only seen a 13 per cent sales increase, while plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) sales are up 97 per cent (4059), thanks mainly to the release of new models like the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid EV.

For everything you auto know about EVs, listen to carsales' Watts Under the Bonnet: the electric car podcast

Join the conversation at 

our Facebook page

Or email us at 

editor@carsales.com.au