Electric vehicle FAQs

Australia no longer manufactures its own cars and, therefore, we rely on imports. As countries around the world move to electric vehicles, we must be prepared to do so as well. In the not too distant future, many car manufacturers will stop building cars with internal combustion engines. There’ll come a time when petrol and diesel cars are no longer imported into Australia, meaning we’ll only be able to buy electric cars.

Recent surveys in Australia say 65 per cent of motorists would consider buying an EV if a network of public charging stations was available. Australia is lagging far behind the rest of the world in building EV infrastructure, and we need to catch up quickly. The NRMA has a game plan to install a national EV charging network as part of the National Electric Vehicle Strategy.

The world’s major automotive manufacturers are going electric, investing more than $100 billion to support the transition away from liquid fuel cars to low or zero tailpipe emission vehicles.

Many brands have openly discussed the end of petrol and diesel, including Volvo, Mercedes and The Volkswagen Group – the world’s largest car manufacturer. Volvo has already ceased the sale of petrol-only cars, and Mercedes has now stopped development of petrol and diesel engines, switching focus and investment to electric.

Even General Motors, well known for their American muscle cars, see a fully electric future, with the development of new electric vehicle architecture to underpin future electric models. Toyota, Australia’s largest car supplier, expects more than half of its sales to be electric by 2025.

A growing number of jurisdictions have announced plans to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars:

- The UK will ban petrol, diesel and hybrid car sales by 2035.

- France will ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040.

- Norway, which has the highest penetration of EVs in the world, will ban the sale of petrol, diesel and hybrid cars by 2025.

- The Netherlands will ban petrol, diesel and hybrid car sales by 2030.

- Israel will ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2030.

- More than 10 states in the USA will ban petrol and diesel sales between 2030 and 2040.

In addition, many cities and territories around the world are introducing electric buses into their public transport networks.

Range anxiety refers to a driver’s concern that he or she won’t have enough charge to get home or to the next charging station. With better batteries delivering increased range and more public electric chargers being installed, this is becoming less of a problem.

Yes, electric cars are more sustainable and better for the environment than fossil-fuelled cars. 

Australia has the highest emissions per capita in the OECD and is also one of the only developed nations in the world that doesn’t have a carbon emissions scheme. Many cars on our roads produce more pollution than similar cars in other developed nations.

An average new liquid fuel car emits around 185g CO2/km. An average new EV, however, is responsible for around 98g CO2/km, which is better for the environment. Reduced tailpipe emissions, particularly in urban areas, could also support better health standards.

An important consideration for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure is the source of electricity used to power vehicles. Analysis across all states and territories in Australia shows that an average electric vehicle charged from the grid in 2016 emitted less than an average internal combustion engine vehicle, except in Victoria, where it’s only slightly higher. Australia’s vehicle emissions are at a record high and electric car technology will substantially reduce our carbon footprint.

This is true and it’s mostly due to the weight of the battery packs, with some exceeding 500kg. While most traditional cars weigh less than two tonnes, it’s not uncommon for EVs to weigh up to two and a half tonnes. As battery capacity improves, the weight of battery packs will reduce.

Heavy is not necessarily bad, though. In EVs, the batteries are stored along the floor of the vehicle, meaning that the centre of gravity is lower down. Without a heavy engine to worry about, manufacturers can more easily achieve optimum weight distribution to optimise feel and handling.

There are three main types of EVs: Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) run entirely on electricity which is stored in the car’s battery packs. They’re recharged from either the power grid or through home energy capture (e.g. solar). In general, the larger the battery, the further the vehicle can travel on a single charge. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) also use rechargeable batteries, however these cars also possess a traditional internal combustion engine. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are not dissimilar to PHEVs, also utilising a combination of batteries and an internal combustion engine, however HEVs cannot be plugged in for charging and generally have smaller batteries that are charged by the engine and regenerative braking.

In Australia, Hybrids or HEVs start around $26,500 plus on-road costs and full battery EVs or BEVs start from less than $40,000 plus on road costs but require no liquid fuel as they are powered exclusively by electricity. While EVs are currently more expensive to purchase than their internal combustion engine equivalents, projections show that purchase price parity could be achieved by around 2024.

EVs are far cheaper to run than a regular internal combustion engine car. In recent times in Australia, the average price of petrol has been around $1.50 per litre. To achieve the same travel distances, an equivalent electric vehicle would command just 33 cents if charged via the electricity grid.

Even lower running costs could be achieved by using home energy capture (e.g. solar) as opposed to purchasing electricity off the grid. There are further cost benefits with battery EVs or BEVs as they have far fewer moving parts and, therefore, require less maintenance. BEVs also do not require regular fluid changes.

There are several very good reasons to switch to electric vehicles in Australia.

Going electric would improve national security by eliminating 16 million barrels of imported oil per annum by 2030 and the environmental benefits are the equivalent of taking eight million petrol vehicles off the road. Also, lithium is a prime component of EV batteries and Australia has abundant reserves of lithium.

As EV numbers grow in coming years, it will open up major export and employment opportunities in this industry. Electric cars are also quieter and inherently pleasant to drive, with performance as good as or better than regular petrol cars. Lastly, you’ll never have to visit a service station again.

Currently EVs are more expensive to buy than petrol and diesel equivalents, and some EVs have a short driving ranges. EVs also take longer to charge than to refuel a traditional car, and there are not as many public chargers as there are petrol stations. However, most people would be able to charge at home and only use public chargers for long distance journeys.

Sales of electric cars in Australia are on the increase. In 2022 around 33,000 new electric cars rolled onto Australian roads. In 2023, around 87,000 new electric cars were sold, representing a seven per cent of the entire new car market.

In 2023, the LDV eT60 was introduced to Australia, becoming the first all-electric ute offered in the country.

More and more electrified commercial vehicles, including utes, will enter the Australian market as larger brands continue their development. The Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger utes continue to dominate Australian new-car sales, so brands have a lot of motivation to move quickly in this space.

The time an EV takes to charge varies depending on the type of car and charger. Plugging in at home using a regular wall socket is the slowest method, but an EV will reach full charge overnight. A public DC fast charger, however, can provide most EVs with 80 per cent capacity in around 30 minutes.

The average range EVs can cover on a single charge is increasing all the time due to breakthroughs in battery and other technologies. Many electric cars in Australia, even some of the cheapest ones available, now exceed 400km of driving range.

Move to the upper end of the market, which features technology that will work its way into more affordable electric cars in time, and driving ranges exceeding 600km are becoming commonplace.

You can use the MyNRMA app to find NRMA chargers, and there are a also range of other EV charging networks and apps including PlugShare that can be used to find alternative public charging stations near you.

Using an NRMA fast charger is as simple as plugging in the EV using the supplied cable into the port, and then using the MyNRMA app to start charging. For most electric vehicles, an 80 per cent charge takes about 30 minutes.