With the Federal Government announcing a $178 million boost to the Future Fuels Fund, our attention now pivots to how quickly the Australian public will make the switch to electric powered vehicles. Prime Minister Scott Morrison hopes that electric vehicles will take up 30 percent of the market by 2030, but with no incentives or rebates to make the switch, many experts are skeptical.

The government says it wants to add a total 50,000 charging stations for electric vehicles into the homes of Australians, in the hope that there will be at least 1.7 million electric vehicles on Australian roads by 2030. In comparison, the state of California has 73,000 public and shared chargers, while China has over 800,000 public chargers.

In terms of the number of electric vehicles available on the Australian market, the range goes beyond just Tesla’s and BMW’s. In fact, you can find all 33 available electric cars on the Australian market right now below.

electric vehicles charging station

In terms of charging stations nationwide, well, there’s not many. Cars on either AC or DC supplies, and there are charging stations that charge accordingly.

According to Cars Guide, New South Wales has 153 DC chargers and 630 AC chargers, with nearly 200 of those located in Sydney. NSW has 4627 registered electric vehicles within the state, meaning there are 0.17 chargers per vehicle in the state. Victoria comes in second with 536 charging points, with 86 of those DC chargers and 450 being AC. Queensland comprises 59 DC chargers and 336 AC chargers, with the state having an ‘electric super highway' that has 31 fast chargers between Coolangatta and Port Douglas over an 1,900km journey.

In the remaining states, charging stations are few and far between. Western Australia has 25 DC chargers and 202 AC chargers, while South Australia has 19 DC chargers and 216 AC chargers. The ACT, despite its size, has 11 DC and 39 AC chargers, while Tasmania contains 4 DC and 64 AC chargers. Outlining the level of the issue of the amount of electric vehicle chargers in the country, the Northern Territory has 13 AC chargers, and staggeringly, zero public DC chargers whatsoever.

The Federal Government, in a statement released to coincide with the funding boost for the Future Fuels Fund, says it believes that discounts and incentives to purchase electric cars will turn the public away from purchasing electric vehicles, in spite of the automotive industry and environmental activists believing it is the best way to entice people into purchasing the vehicles.

“Voluntary adoption of electric vehicles is the right pathway for reducing transport emissions over the long term. Stringent standards, bans or regressive taxes will limit choice and increase the upfront costs of cars for Australians,” the statement reads.

"Reducing the total cost of ownership through subsidies would not represent value for the taxpayer, particularly as industry is rapidly working through technological developments to make battery electric vehicles cheaper.”

electric vehicles charging station

In Australia, transport accounts for roughly a third of the nation’s carbon emissions. While the increased funding of the Future Fuels Fund is promising, the amount of chargers in other countries outlines there is much work to be done in creating the infrastructure required for there to be nearly 2 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. While the steps taken are steps in the right direction, Australia is a fair way off supporting electric vehicles in a similar manner to the likes of the US and China.

Available electric cars in Australia:

Audi e-tron
BMW i3s
BMW X5 xDrive45e
BMW 330e
BMW 530e xDrive
BMW 745e
Hyundai Ioniq
Hyundai Kona
Jaguar I-PACE
Kia Niro
Mercedes-Benz A 250 e
Mercedes-Benz C 300 e
Mercedes-Benz EQA
Mercedes-Benz EQC
Mercedes-Benz E 300 e
Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 w
MG HS PHEV
MG ZS EV
MINI Countryman
MINI Electric Hatch
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Nissan Leaf
Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid
Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid
Porsche Taycan
Range Rover PHEV
Tesla Model S
Tesla Model X
Tesla Model 3
Volvo S60
Volvo XC40 Recharge
Volvo XC60 T8
Volvo XC90 T8
Harley-Davidson LiveWire (Bike)

Images: PxFuel

Jarrod Reedie

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