Almost two-thirds of Australians may own an electric vehicle (EV) within a decade.
That’s what a Jaguar commissioned survey in its Driving Australia Forward’ report says.
The report indicates one in five Australians of driving age think they will buy an EV within the next two years.
Almost 84% of buyers want to own an EV at some time in their lives.
EVs represent about 0.2% of total sales, and a Roy Morgan survey suggests that only 55.7% of Australians are seriously considering buying some form of electrified vehicle, RenewEconomy says.
Other forecasts, such as Bloomberg New Energy Finance, predict that 40% of light vehicles will be electric by 2040, while the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) recently forecast that half of all cars would be electric by about the same time.
Jaguar’s forecasts could mean Australian car dealers may be selling an average of 1.2 million EV or PHEV cars annually over the next 10 years, nearly double what the AEMO expects.
About 43% of millennial respondents say they want an EV, compared to 34% of baby boomers, the Jaguar report says.
Men are also more likely to want to buy an EV as their next car, at 42% compared to 27% of women. About 38% of people surveyed say they want an EV “a lot”.
Cost remains a key factor, as Jaguar Land Rover Australia marketing director Kevin Nicholls admits.
“While Aussies clearly see the benefits of electric vehicles they’re still hesitant about the price – 75% said that if electric vehicles cost the same as their petrol equivalent, it would be their next car purchase,” he says.
Australia is reportedly seven to 10 years behind the rest of the world in EV uptake, blamed mainly on a lack of EV policy and purchase incentives.
In May, Jaguar asked the Australian government to provide the local auto industry with a clear path to help boost EV uptake.
“Australians are ready for electric vehicles, and the industry is too – now we need the federal government to do their bit and present their framework,” Nicholls told RenewEconomy.
Nicholls says the I-Pace SUV will be available in Australian Jaguar dealerships in November, starting at about A$119,000, plus on-road costs.
Many Australian consumers may wait for more affordable models, such as the Nissan Leaf, the Hyundai Ioniq, Kia Niro and the Tesla Model 3, RenewEconomy says.
Jaguar says education and public awareness are key, with EV interest rising by 8% once EVs’ environmental benefits are known.
Another report suggests EV uptake in Australia is hindered by dealer reluctance, often leaving EVs out of sales pitches due to lack of staff training and because of reduced profits through less maintenance and repairs.
Meanwhile. Jaguar says its European I-Pace, Range Rover PHEV and Range Rover Sport PHEV customers will benefit from a new premium charging service with 70,000 charging points throughout mainland Europe available under a Plugsurfing partnership.
