Demand for electric vehicles in WA is growing, with a new RAC survey revealing more Western Australians are considering an EV or hybrid as their next purchase over a petrol or diesel car.
The latest RAC Member Priorities Tracker on Sustainability reveals half of all respondents would consider an electric or hybrid vehicle as their next car, compared to 36 per cent preferring petrol or diesel.
RAC General Manager External Relations Will Golsby said interest in low and zero emissions vehicles is growing in the community.
“More Western Australians are warming up to electric vehicles, with 55 per cent of our survey respondents viewing EVs more positively than they did a year ago,” Mr Golsby said.
“Two-thirds also believe they’ll own an EV in the next ten years.
“Not only are more people considering an electric or hybrid vehicle as their next car, but we’re seeing more Western Australians making the switch — with the number of EVs on WA roads more than doubling in the past 12 months alone.”
Despite more positivity toward EVs, the survey also revealed purchase price is overwhelmingly the biggest barrier to their uptake.
“Two-thirds of our survey respondents say EVs are simply too expensive. At nearly $50,000, even the cheapest models price many buyers out of the market straight away,” Mr Golsby said.
“Last year, we welcomed the WA Government’s Electric Vehicle Strategy, which includes a $21 million investment in charging infrastructure.
“However, WA’s fleet targets are lower than other States and the Strategy missed an opportunity to further incentivise EVs through subsidies, rebates and fee cuts to reduce the upfront costs.
“It’s important we do everything we can to bring forward the transition to electric vehicles, as the sooner we do, the sooner we’ll realise the benefits of lower vehicle emissions and cleaner and healthier air.”
Only a quarter of survey respondents have confidence in government to address vehicle emissions, with their top three calls for action:
- Provide incentives for purchasing low emissions vehicles,
- Regulate emissions through national standards for new vehicles, and
- Increase the number of low emissions vehicles in the government fleet.
The RAC Electric Highway® was launched in 2015 as the first of its kind in Australia and now features 17 charging stations between Monkey Mia and Pemberton.
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Media contact: Caitlin Barr, 0401 703 719 or media@rac.com.au
