With interest in electric and hybrid vehicles sweeping the world in 2019 as nations introduce tougher emissions standards for auto manufacturers and subsidies for consumers, it appears Australia hasn’t quite caught the EV bug yet.

A study conducted by L.E.K. Consulting in conjunction with Vision Mobility and CuriosityCX has revealed that interest in the new vehicle technology in Australia lags behind that of most other countries.

Data from the Fourth Annual Global Mobility Study shows that 34 percent of Australians are either interested or very interested in owning a hybrid vehicle, while EVs recorded 33 percent.

This figure is well below the average among surveyed countries, which include the United States, the UK, China, India, Spain, Germany and France. 48 percent of respondents around the world were interested in hybrids, with particularly strong interest recorded in India, Canada and China, while 45 percent recorded an interest in EVs.

A lack of interest in electric vehicles is nothing new for Australia, with many manufacturers electing not to bring new EV models into the country as a result.

As for why the lack of interest is occurring, L.E.K. Consulting partner Mark Streeting says a lack of charging infrastructure and battery range remains to be the reason.

“Australia’s wide expanse makes it hard for drivers to contemplate being stuck without a place to charge. The distance between major cities adds anxiety about the capability of EVs to make it from A to B, despite an uptick in publicly-available infrastructure,” said Streetling.

“However, the major impediment according to this study remains the cost, with the lowest-price EV on the market, the Hyundai Ioniq, coming in at around $45,000. And with no resale market yet established, internal combustion engines remain the go-to choice for new or used vehicle purchases.”

However, with a network of charging infrastructure being installed around the country, making it easier to access chargers on a road trip, as well as new laws around vehicle importing, mean the days of consumers turning their nose up at EVs should be numbered.

Global EV sales are expected to rise dramatically over the next 20 years, with the current figure of three percent of all new vehicles expected to reach 15 percent in 2025 and 65 percent in 2040.

Another takeaway from the report was that the use of E-scooters as an alternative mode of transport increased in 2019, from three percent to four percent.

E-mobility companies have taken off this year, with the low associated costs, simplicity and environmental impact all contributing factors to the rise said L.E.K. Consulting partner Ashish Khanna.

“Governments may be convinced to promote e-scooter usage because of their environmental benefits, but safety and clutter are major issues to overcome. New forms of micro-mobility, such as e-skateboards and high-speed e-bikes, are also emerging, adding to the erosion of public transport revenues,” said Khanna.

Autonomous vehicles sales were also expected to grow in the coming years, with 55 percent of car sales in 2040 being for autonomous vehicles.

Original source: EVtalk | Australia global laggard in EV and hybrid interest

11 Dec 2019