If you’ve spent any time driving on the roads over the past few months, you’ve probably noticed a few things. Firstly, the sharp increase in fuel prices, and secondly, the amount of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road. It’s not hard to see the connection between the two. But in Australia, the EV market has been growing for years now.

According to recent data from both the , EVs (both battery-electric and plug-in hybrid combined) accounted for 11.8% of all new car sales in Australia in February 2026, and those numbers are expected to grow substantially.

But regardless of this growth, Australia is still lagging behind Europe. In the UK, EV sales represented over 23% of new car sales in 2025. In Norway that number is a mind-boggling 95.9%. So, is it time to make the switch? And is now a good time to buy an EV?

Why are EVs not as popular in Australia?

According to a report published by the , cost was the biggest barrier to entry for Australians when it comes to purchasing EVs. Despite the fact that most of us understand that EVs have lower running costs than traditional petrol vehicles, for many consumers the initial outlay is still too much. 

But the second biggest concern for consumers is a lack of charging infrastructure – it’s no good having an electric car if you can’t take it on a road trip.

Australia is a big country, with a relatively small population density, so it makes sense we have fewer charging stations compared to folks in Europe and the US. Despite a huge surge in charging stations being installed over the past few years, . 

Regardless of these issues, more and more Australians are interested in buying EVs.

Are there enough charging stations here in Australia?

While we don’t have the infrastructure of some other jurisdictions, the situation is improving. 

in terms of sheer volume of chargers. But across Australia as a whole, the infrastructure is growing faster than the EV market itself, and it shows no signs of slowing. 

“There still aren’t enough  EV chargers in most areas, but that’s changing,” says ÌÇÐÄVlog EV expert Chris Barnes.

“As people see the chargers around and EV charging becomes an everyday sight, they’ll get more comfortable with the idea of owning an EV.

“Also, technology is developing so fast. In a few years’ time I expect there’ll be EVs that can charge in a few minutes, nearly as fast as a petrol top-up. And battery prices and capacity keep improving.”

Why are EVs so expensive in Australia?

In Australia, cars in general tend to be more expensive, especially compared to other bigger markets like the US and Europe, and they also .

Factors like inflation, the relative value of the Aussie dollar and the cost of shipping to a relatively remote country with a small population all undoubtedly play a part in the cost of cars here in Australia.

Compounding these issues is a supply and demand problem. While the number of electric vehicles sold in Australia has increased in the past year, we’re still a long way behind many European countries, where EVs substantially outsell the alternatives.

Our small population and lower demand means that cars can’t be shipped and sold at scale, which contributes to the increased price. 

That being said, prices are coming down. And the EVs being sold in Australia are cheaper than you might think.

“I think EVs are actually not always that much more expensive in Australia than in most other Western countries,” says Chris. “Probably they are a bit cheaper in some other countries like the USA. Certainly they are generally much cheaper in China, as you’d expect.

“But some EVs are now actually cheaper here than in the UK. As an example, the base model MG4 EV in the UK costs £22,000 (about $42,100). Here, it costs about $32,000.”

What about EV running costs?

There’s definitely good news here. You absolutely will save money on running costs if you purchase an EV over a petrol car. You just need to check whether those savings are significant enough to justify the higher initial outlay.

According to , you can save up to 70% on fuel costs and 40% on maintenance costs. That amounts to a saving of $1000 on fuel costs per year for an average car driving 13,700 kilometres per year.

This, of course, all depends on where and when you charge your EV, if you use solar charging, and whether or not you take advantage of off-peak energy tariffs. 

Regardless, you will save money on running costs if you use an EV.

Are there incentives for buying EVs in Australia?

If you’re buying an EV as part of a fleet of company cars, or under salary sacrifice arrangements, you could be eligible for a that could potentially save you thousands of dollars. Eligibility is dependent on a number of factors, however, and only applies to a select group of EV models.  

There are additional benefits you may be able to access depending on which state you live in.. These incentives change frequently and there are a number of restrictions, so triple check what you’re eligible for before buying.

What about EV resale value?

Despite the fact that EVs have fewer moving parts and are easier to service over long periods of time, data shows that compared to equivalent petrol vehicles.

That’s partly due to the fact they’re more expensive to begin with, but also due to (often inaccurate) perceptions about EVs among folks perusing the second-hand market.

For example, some people might believe the battery will need replacing in a few years, but the truth is most modern EV batteries last very well.

But, on the flip side, this means it could be worth picking up a relatively cheap secondhand EV on the used car market.

Is now a good time to buy an EV?

With and a host of new models to choose from, 2026 could potentially be a pretty good year to jump on board the EV bandwagon, according to Chris.

“If you are thinking of buying a new car and considering an EV, I’d say there’ll be a lot of good options this year,” he says.

“We’ve got multiple Chinese brands launching soon, or already here. They see Australia as a fertile market, with no import tariffs to worry about, and they know there is a lot of interest here in cars that are well-priced.” 

But there are a few caveats. 

“Personally, my only real concern with these brands is not the quality of the cars, but the quality of the local service and dealerships. Many of those brands don’t have a presence here, so they are partnering with established car dealer networks, who might not know the cars that well, and who might not offer the best service.”

What about ethical concerns?

One of the key reasons people invest in EVs over petrol-fuelled cars is concern for the environment. Despite the fact that Australia is still mainly powered by fossil fuels (in 2024 it was reported that ), it’s still better to use grid-powered electricity to run an EV than driving a petrol car.

Even coal-fired power plants are , and EVs are more efficient than petrol cars. All these energy savings add up.

But there’s also the issue of the materials required to build EVs. A recent ÌÇÐÄVlog investigation looked into human rights concerns at nickel smelters in Indonesia where Tesla, Ford and Volkswagen source minerals to help build their EVs. It makes for grim reading. 

It shouldn’t necessarily dissuade you from buying an EV over a petrol car, but it’s an issue worth being aware of.

Which EV should you buy?

That’s a trickier question to answer and it depends on a number of factors, not least of which is how much you’re willing to spend, and what kind of range you’ll require for everyday use. 

We’ve reviewed a whole host of EVs currently available in Australia. You can head there for more info.

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Whatever your reasons for being interested, we’ve collated the information available in the market to help guide you through the world of electric vehicles.

On this page:

• How we choose what we test
• Our expert testers
• How we test electric cars

How we choose what we test

If you’ve been in the market for an EV lately, you’ll have noticed ordering one or getting a test drive isn’t as simple as just going down to your local car dealer. There is a plethora of roadblocks at the moment, primarily the fact that we simply don’t have enough EVs in stock to fulfil the consumer need in Australia.

We’ve collated the most recent data from all current models and partnered with some industry experts to bring you our electric cars review with real-world figures so that you’ll know what to expect when you manage to secure a test drive.

Our expert testers

We don’t currently test cars at ÌÇÐÄVlog. It’s our policy to buy the vast majority of what we test, and putting aside a few million dollars to buy all the electric cars on the market is out of our reach at the moment. However, we did partner with , an Australian-owned data aggregator of electric vehicles, to put together our review based on their feedback and EV expertise.

How we test electric cars

We looked at what factors are important to consumers right now, which includes some pretty basic elements such as real-world range, warranty, efficiency and running costs, as well as how quick EVs are to charge.

We looked at the data available from both real-world feedback and manufacturer claims to develop a weighting and give some guidance to people looking to buy an EV.

The ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating (our overall score) is made up of:

• range, based on real-world feedback (50%)
• fast charge time, based on manufacturer claims (20%)
• running costs, based on real-world feedback on efficiency and an EV travelling 14,000km a year, being charged at 40c/kWh for recharge (20%)
• battery warranty, based on the manufacturer’s claim (10%).

The post How we review electric vehicles appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

Twenty-one of those workers died that day or in the days following, and dozens of others were seriously injured. 

The workplace tragedy happened after a fire broke out at a nickel smelter owned by Chinese conglomerate Tsingshan Stainless Steel Indonesia. 

In the days following the fire, Indonesian authorities told Reuters there were strong indications that safety procedures had not been followed at the site. 

But despite the dangers to workers and locals, the nickel trade in Indonesia is booming. The country continues to increase its nickel output for many buyers, including several international car makers who need the coveted metal to make electric vehicle batteries.  

A year on, activists say working and safety conditions at sites across the region have seen little improvement. In addition, the environmental impacts on communities surrounding the mines and smelters continue to worsen.

Indonesian nickel 

Nickel is traditionally used in stainless steel manufacturing, which still consumes most of the world’s nickel supply. But production demands are shifting with the rapid rise of electric vehicles. 

There are many different uses for nickel, but EVs are driving demand for the critical metal. As the sale of EVs in countries like Australia grows, the mining and smelting industry in Indonesia is racing to keep up.

Between 2010 and 2023, global nickel production more than doubled. Indonesia currently makes up around 50% of all global nickel output and that’s expected to grow in the coming decades.

Mohan Yellishetty, an associate professor at Monash University’s department of civil engineering, says Indonesia is aiming to produce 75% of the world’s nickel by 2040. The country produces nickel at a much cheaper price than competitors like Australia, so is undercutting domestic production here.

To help grow the local economy and create more jobs, Jakarta has moved to ban the export of raw nickel ore exports. Since 2022, minerals have been required to be processed in-country before being exported. 

That has led to an investment boom, mainly from Chinese companies. While much of the processed nickel is exported to China and EV manufacturing companies, western car makers hungry for nickel are also major buyers. 

Krista Shennum from international environmental NGO Climate Rights International says Tesla, Ford and Volkswagen all have ties to the Indonesian nickel supply chain.  

“It is the responsibility of those companies to ensure that they are using their leverage as a purchaser to demand higher standards, [and] to demand that the companies they’re buying nickel from are not contributing to human rights abuses, they’re not taking land from people and polluting people’s water, and [that] they’re really upholding the rights of local communities and of workers.”

Environmental concerns 

Shennum and her colleagues travelled to Indonesia in 2023 to document the huge environmental costs of the nickel boom. Their report, , highlights the stories of dozens of villagers who had lost land to nickel mines or whose traditional fishing lifestyles had disappeared due to poisoned waterways. 

“Some companies, in coordination with Indonesian police and military personnel, have engaged in land-grabbing, coercion, and intimidation of Indigenous Peoples and other communities, who are experiencing serious and potentially existential threats to their traditional ways of life,” the report reads. 

“You have mass destruction of the natural environment … there are really beautiful forests that are just being absolutely destroyed. You have essentially [mine] tailings that aren’t properly being managed,” says Shennum. “We visited entire communities that no longer have access to clean drinking water.” 

A further concern is the massive amounts of coal used to power nickel smelting. At three of the biggest nickel industrial parks – Obi Island, Morowali and Weda Bay – the country has planned to double the nickel industry’s current power usage. The amount being invested in renewable energy projects to power the nickel industry is just a fraction of the investment in coal.

The fallacy of using coal to power the ‘green vehicle’ revolution is not lost on Shennum. 

“At Weda Bay Industrial Park, once it’s fully operational, there will be 12 new captive coal plants that didn’t exist five years ago,” she says. “That’s 3.8 gigawatts of coal capacity, or roughly what is burned in all of Spain every year, just at this one industrial park in Indonesia.”

Concerns for workers persist 

Zakki Amali is the research manager at Trend Asia, a Jakarta-based NGO that focuses on sustainable development in the region. 

He says the labour rights and safety of workers and nickel smelting plants around the country hasn’t improved significantly since the disaster in December last year. 

“The safety situation remains as usual, because at the nickel smelters there are accidents all the time, so safety is a big issue,” Zakki says.

According to local media reports, as of December 2024, almost a year on from the disaster, fewer than half of the 50 tenants of the Morowali Industrial Park had completed their mandatory occupational health and safety certification from the government.  

Many of the workers in these industrial parks come from other parts of Indonesia, and there are also many Chinese labourers. 

Zakki says he is concerned the situation for workers will only get worse. The government led by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who took power in October 2024, has set ambitious goals to grow the economy. 

Zakki believes Prabowo’s administration won’t focus on workers safety and the environment because of its focus on economic growth. “The government only cares about how to extract all commodities from Indonesia to grow the economy,” he says. 

Australian ties 

While Indonesian nickel companies may have displaced Australian nickel mines, which struggle to compete with the low-cost product coming from our northern neighbour, Australian companies are determined not to miss out on the action. 

Nickel Industries Limited is an ASX-listed company with growing investments in Indonesia. It owns a controlling stake in the Hengjaya Mine in Sulawesi and four smelting furnaces. Nickel Industries also has a strategic investment partnership with Chinese company Tsingshan, which holds other nickel investments in the area.

Nickel Industries has had no record of human rights abuses, and analysts like Yellishetty say Australian companies can have a positive impact on improving worker conditions in Indonesia. 

“Australia has a high standard when it comes to these things. Of course it may not be as high when operating in Indonesia [compared to in Australia], but it would still be relatively high in the global context,” he says.

Canberra has also sought to help facilitate the growth of investment in Indonesian nickel from Australian companies by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Indonesia on EVs and nickel in November 2023. 

“By collaborating on growing strong and diverse clean energy supply chains, both countries can further our shared economic interests as well as our trade and investment links,” Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic said at the time. 

“This mechanism also paves the way for harnessing joint scientific and research studies, including around critical minerals processing and battery development, and facilitating partnerships between businesses in both our countries.”

Role for EV buyers

Yellishetty says Australian buyers of electric vehicles have a role to play in pressuring car makers to be more open and transparent about their supply chains and encouraging companies to improve environmental and labour conditions.

“Most people on the receiving end don’t have an idea of how a product moves, [or] where particular components that go into manufacturing EVs are manufactured. But car companies can be more upfront about this,” he says.

Shennum agrees that consumers are likely in the dark about what has taken place in the manufacture of their vehicle.

“There really needs to be an understanding that what’s happening at the current level, in terms of burning fossil fuels to power nickel, stealing land from people and harming people and Indigenous peoples’ rights, is just not in line with a just energy transition we want to see.”

“The way that it’s currently being done is not a climate solution. You can’t build new coal plants to power electric vehicles in countries like Australia and call that a climate solution,” she says.

Update 14 Jan 2025: An earlier version of this story included BYD as one of the car manufacturers that use nickel from Indonesia, but the company has confirmed it no longer uses nickel in its electric vehicle batteries.

The post A dark side of the electric vehicle boom appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• What are biofuels and how do they work?
• What is liquid petroleum gas?
• Save on fuel by choosing a hybrid car
• The pros and cons of electric cars
• Can you downsize your car?
• Driving tips to save on fuel

And with oil supplies dwindling and greenhouse gas emissions increasing, there are good environmental reasons to look at fuel alternatives. So how do you balance the budget and the environment when it comes to filling up your car?

What are biofuels and how do they work?

Like the name suggests, biofuels are made from newly-grown plant or animal matter. Biofuels aren’t new – Henry Ford’s first car ran on alcohol and Rudolf Diesel’s engine first fired with peanut oil. Two biofuels, ethanol and biodiesel, can be used in most existing motor vehicles and are pretty easy to handle.

In theory, using biofuels can cut down your car’s greenhouse gas emissions because burning them releases only the carbon that was absorbed when they were growing. That means releasing less CO2 into the air than the millions of years of carbon stored in the oil that powers most modern cars. But the green credentials of these fuel alternatives do come with some caveats.

The pros and cons of biofuels

Ethanol (E10) is an alcohol fuel usually produced by fermenting sugars from plants such as sugar cane, wheat and corn. Since 2011, the base unleaded fuel option in Australia is now E10 – petrol with a mandatory 10% ethanol.

Good points

• Made from many sources of renewable materials, including waste products like sorghum stems, spent grain or sugar cane.
• Reduces reliance on non-renewable oil.
• Lower CO2 emissions than petrol, when production and use are considered.
• Generally produces less local air pollution than petrol.
• Safe to use in most new cars at concentrations in petrol of up to 10%. Many new cars have an “E10 suitable” sticker near the fuel filler.

Bad points

• Pure ethanol has lower energy content than petrol (67%), which means you travel a shorter distance on the same size tank of fuel.
• Can compete with other crops for land use and therefore raise food prices, which harms poorer consumers in developing countries because food is a big part of their weekly costs.
• Agricultural production can damage the quality and biodiversity of the local environment through the clearing of native vegetation, monoculture production and introducing invasive species.
• Shouldn’t be used on some older vehicles – you can check the list of suitable cars at .
• If produced with artificial fertilisers and transported a long way, energy return and greenhouse benefits can be low or negative.
• Minor modifications are required to run a vehicle on pure ethanol. Only E10 (a petrol-ethanol mix) is sold in Australia.

Biodiesel (B20) is a fuel produced from vegetable and animal oils. B20 is more commonly sold than pure biodiesel – it’s a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% mineral diesel.

Good points

• Made from many sources of renewable materials, including used cooking oil.
• Reduces reliance on non-renewable oil.
• Significantly lower CO2 emissions than diesel, when production and use are considered.
• Biodegradable and non-toxic.
• Generally produces much less local air pollution than diesel.
• Pure biodiesel can be used in unmodified diesel engines or it can be mixed with regular diesel.
• If made from agricultural or cooking residues it’s cheaper than if made from specially grown sources, uses less land and water and has better CO2 performance.

Bad points

• Pure biodiesel has lower energy content than diesel (86%), which means you travel a shorter distance on the same size fuel tank.
• Can compete with other crops for land use and raise food prices, especially for poorer consumers in developing countries.
• Can damage the quality and biodiversity of the local environment via the clearing of native vegetation, monoculture production and introducing invasive species.
• If produced with artificial fertilisers and transported a long way, energy return and greenhouse benefits can be low or negative.
• Emits higher quantities of nitrogen oxides than diesel.
• Becomes less fluid in cold climates, so vehicle modification is required if using pure or high-proportion biodiesel blends.
• Limited but increasing consumer availability.

What is liquid petroleum gas?

Liquid petroleum gas (LPG) is extracted from natural gas or derived as a byproduct of the petroleum industry. Car LPG is a blend of mainly propane and butane, so you can’t swap it with the LPG you use to fire up the barbecue.

The pros and cons of LPG

Good points

• Causes less local air pollution than petrol.
• Some reduction in CO2 emissions compared with petrol for a given trip.
• Petrol and diesel vehicles can be converted for LPG use. Most car conversions enable dual-fuel use, for example, petrol and LPG.
• More than 3200 outlets sell LPG – making it more available than other alternative fuels.
• Substantially cheaper per litre than regular petrol because it requires minimal processing.

Bad points

• Made from non-renewable resources.
• Still emits a high amount of CO2.
• Lower energy content than petrol, which means you travel a shorter distance on the same size tank of fuel. You need about 30% more LPG to go the same distance as petrol.
• Requires expensive car conversion with an initial outlay of $2000–4000, so it’s more attractive for higher-mileage vehicles.
• Some new cars are built to use LPG only.
• Some vehicles can’t be converted due to space limitations.
• You’ll need to consider not only the current price of LPG, but what it might cost in future.
• A $2000 government rebate on LPG conversions ended on 30 June 2014, with nothing new on the horizon.

Converting your car to LPG

Before you convert your car, contact the manufacturer to find out whether it’s suitable, and whether the conversion will affect the car’s warranty.

All the components, as well as the installation, repair and maintenance of LPG systems, are covered by mandatory standards and other government regulations.

Only businesses that meet special licensing requirements are permitted to install, repair or adjust a car’s LPG system. Your state or territory transport authority can give you details of licensed installers in your area and has information on particular requirements. You’ll also need to tell them once your car has been converted.

It’s unlikely you’ll pay a different insurance premium for a converted car, but you should contact your insurer to make sure. In any case, you’ll still need to let them know once your car has been converted.

The components

An LPG conversion usually includes the following main components:

Tank: Although you can convert your car to run on LPG only, the LPG system is usually installed in addition to the fuel system (dual-fuel mode), greatly increasing the distance you can travel between fill-ups. LPG tanks are considered as safe, if not safer, than petrol tanks in an accident.

Fuel lock valve: Prevents the flow of gas when the engine stops.

Vaporiser regulator (converter): Regulates the outlet gas pressure according to engine demands.

Air/gas mixer: Mixes LPG vapour with air to light the fuel.

LPG control processor: Operates in conjunction with the car’s on-board computer to accurately meter the amount of gas for increased economy.

If you’re going for a duel-fuel conversion you’ll need to make sure that all emission control, engine control and engine management systems and devices remain operational.

You’ll also need to use the fuel system every now and then to keep it functional and safe – recommendations range from 10% to 30% of the time.

When will it pay off?

LPG costs about half as much as unleaded petrol, but it doesn’t contain as much energy as petrol – you’ll need about 20% more LPG to drive the same distance.

The payback time depends on the number of kilometres you drive each year, your car’s fuel consumption, the cost of the conversion and the price difference between petrol and LPG.

Make sure you assess your situation before you convert to LPG – it may take longer to pay for itself than you want to keep the car for. For example:

• You drive your family car for 20,000 km a year – mainly in city traffic, where it uses about 12.5L/100km of petrol.
• On average, you pay $1.40 a litre for petrol, and 78 cents a litre for LPG.
• Your petrol costs are $3500 per year.
• The same distance travelled with LPG costs $2340 (at 15L/100km) – a saving of $1160.
• Say the conversion costs $3000, it will pay for itself after two-and-a-half years.

Using the same calculations for a small car using 8L/100km of petrol (and 9.6L/100km of LPG), travelling 10,000km per year and being converted for $1600: the savings are $371 per year, and it’ll take about four-and-a-half years to recover the conversion costs.

Save on fuel by choosing a hybrid car

Biofuels and LPG aren’t the only alternatives to petrol. Hybrid and electric cars can help cut your costs and reduce your impact on the environment.

Hybrid vehicles use two fuel sources. For example, a car that can switch between LPG from one tank to petrol from another could be considered a hybrid. The original hybrid, the Toyota Prius, combines a conventional petrol engine with a rechargeable electric battery to achieve better fuel economy.

The Prius boasts tiny average fuel consumption figures of 3.9L/100km, and its batteries recharge during normal driving when you’re decelerating. The catch, of course, is the high purchase price. This puts the relatively small Prius on par with many medium-sized passenger vehicles when it comes to whole-of-life costs. The same applies to most of the other hybrids on the market.

The pros and cons of electric cars

The technology to power electric cars has been around for a long time, but it’s really only in the past decade that major car manufacturers have been investing in the area. True electric cars are powered only by rechargeable electric batteries.

Electric cars have some big positives: no combustion engine means virtually no noise, they’re cheaper and easier to power up because you can do both at home, and their CO2 emissions are generally much lower than petrol vehicles.

However, they do come with some drawbacks. Generally electric cars are expensive, with most models sitting in the $40,000–60,000 range. They also have a more limited driving range than hybrid or petrol models – ranging from 170–700km on one battery – which can mean ‘range anxiety’ for drivers on longer trips. The bigger the range, the higher the price.

Most big car brands have at least one electric model available, but the total Australian market is still very small compared to conventional petrol-fuelled cars. 

Can you downsize your car?

If doing without a car is not an option, you don’t necessarily have to buy a “green” car to make a significant difference to your bills and the environment. 

Choosing the right car for your needs and driving style has a massive impact on your costs. If you’re just driving around town, you may not need a family car. Instead, an inexpensive two-seater can have comparable fuel use and emissions to a much more expensive hybrid.

Small cars can cost about one third less to run than a 4WD, and they’re often cheap to buy, so their whole-of-life costs are less than half that of a 4WD. Could a rental 4WD cover the times you need off-road or towing capacity?

Check the fuel labels when buying a new car

When you shop for a new car, good fuel efficiency should be a must-have. It’s easy – all new vehicles have to carry a fuel consumption label. If space for seven is what you need, buying a medium-sized people-mover instead of a large 4WD will save you money both at purchase time and at the petrol pump.

While electric and hybrid cars make up most of the performers, you’ll generally find a few small petrol models in the list. Similarly, the models with the top star ratings on the site are electric and plug-in hybrid models with 5.5 or 6 stars, with the better petrol and diesel models coming in at 4 stars.

So if you want to stick with petrol, find a car that runs on regular unleaded fuel, has respectable fuel use and emissions figures, is cheap to buy and is popular enough that you may be able to find a recent second-hand model.

Driving tips to save on fuel

Driving smarter and less is part of the solution. When half the car trips in Australian cities are less than five kilometres, we could all look at driving less often. Converting even a few of these trips to walking, cycling or public transport makes an impact.

We’re not all able to switch cars or fuel type in the short term, so remember that in addition to the car and fuel, driving style also determines your costs and the costs to the environment.

If you only need a car occasionally, car-sharing schemes can be a great alternative. Sign up and you can book a vehicle online or over the phone for as long as you need it. They currently operate in most major capitals and some larger cities.

Become an eco-driver

A car’s reported fuel consumption, in litres per 100km, is based on driving under standardised test conditions, but your driving style can increase that figure dramatically.

“Eco-driving”, as it’s been termed, is not only good for the environment, but can save you money and stress as well. Here’s how you can be an eco-driver.

• Plan your trip well. Try to achieve several tasks with the one trip.
• Take your time. You’ll use less fuel if you drive a bit slower.
• Shed the load. Take unnecessary items out of the car and take off your roof rack when it’s not in use.
• Keep it smooth. Avoid hard braking and acceleration.
• Switch off. Ease up on the air-conditioning, and stop the car and walk in to the fast food restaurant rather than idle in a long drive-through queue.
• Maintain it. Regularly check your tyre pressure is right for your car and tyres, and have your car serviced often.

The post Petrol and its alternatives: how you can save on fuel appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

While those asks have been standard fare for the past decade, what isn’t so easy to buy (yet) is an affordable family car powered by eco fuel sources. We’ve wanted to take the plunge for a while, so when ÌÇÐÄVlog installed a pair of EV car chargers for staff use, the time seemed right to buy an EV. 

We opted for a BYD Atto 3. And while sustainability was the primary reason for the switch, the high-spec gadgetry is pretty cool: voice activation, an array of 360-degree parking cameras and a nifty app that lets you turn on the air-con before you jump in the car. Bonus. 

One former Australian Prime Minister infamously claimed EVs would “ruin the long weekend”. Excited by all those shiny new features, we naively decided to put that claim to the test by driving from Sydney to Port Macquarie the day after we collected the car. 

And even though I work at ÌÇÐÄVlog with a team of EV experts, that didn’t stop us from making a few newbie mistakes along the way. This is what you need to know and do to avoid them.

1. Don’t rely on claimed driving range

For petrol car drivers, range anxiety only really kicks in if you’re planning a trip across more remote parts of Australia, where a hefty gap between petrol stations means you really need to prioritise fueling up. We forked out the additional cash to get an extended range Atto 3, which has a claimed driving range of 480 km. With a full battery and total drive distance of 407 km, I assumed that we’d comfortably get from Sydney to Port Macquarie on one charge. First mistake. 

As our battery trickled down to its last 100km of range, we realised we weren’t going to make the distance without an emergency charge stop in Nabiac.

If I’d done my research, we’d have known that real world driving range is not the same as the car’s claimed range (sometimes referred to as WLTP),Ìýwhich is based on standardised testing and won’t always reflect your personal driving style and local conditions. Factors like speed and increased wind-resistance mean you generally use more battery driving on a highway. Which leads to the next item…

2. Plan your pit stops around EV chargers, not meat pies

Before we left Sydney, my husband declared this would be a holiday of “as many meat pies as possible”. Driving along the Pacific Highway, we were lured by billboards pointing us to Heatherbrae’s ‘artisanal pies’, so that seemed like a no-brainer choice for our daily pie stop. 

The meat pies were indeed great. What I’d neglected to consider was triangulating our lunch location with a nearby EV charger. A retrospective check showed that there was a charger we could have used while enjoying those pies, which would have saved us making that emergency detour to Nabiac. 

3. Learn about charger types and times

Public chargers tend to be described as ultra, fast, or slow charge, but that won’t tell you how long it will take to get your car powered up – nor does their kW charge rate. That’s because charge speed varies from car to car.

EVs have significant differences in charge time depending on the charger you’re plugging into and how much charge your car battery can actually take. Our Atto 3 supports a maximum charge rate of 88 kW, so hooking it up to a charger that delivers more power didn’t result in a faster charge.

EV cars also usually throttle from 80 to 100%, to save battery life, so that part of the charge will go slower. Maths isn’t a strong point in our family, so I got up to speed by reading an article outlining our car’s charge times on different chargers.

4. Download all the charging apps

The amount of charging infrastructure available in metro areas means you’re never too far from a charger and can usually rely on a familiar station nearby for backup.

When you’re on the open road, choices become more limited. These days there are a plethora of new options – NRMA, Chargefox, Evie, BP and Tesla, to name a few. They’re generally smartphone-operated and all set up a little differently, so we found ourselves having to download and learn a new app each time we used a new charger. Getting the most popular options set up ahead of time would have saved us a lot of faffing and expletives as we learned the ins and outs of each new charger. 

5. Check which chargers are actually functional

Our in-built BYD navigation comes with a useful map of available chargers, their charge rate and (in some cases) whether they’re available to charge.

What they don’t always tell you is whether a charging station is actually functional. Again, not such a big deal in metro areas, but in regional centres that can mean a decent trek to find a functional charge station.

We made a few missteps planning our day around a superfast charger, only to find that they were out of order and waiting on maintenance. A quick search pointed us to , a crowd-share mapping app that includes user notes about each charger, along with the charger locations. It’s been in high rotation ever since.

So did our EV roadtrip ruin the long weekend? 

It’s fair to say getting used to EV charging added some time to our maiden voyage in the new vehicle, but the compromises we made also resulted in some lovely moments of serendipity. We passed the time during that emergency pit stop at Nabiac, sitting under trees at the local pool: far from onerous.

Finding a free NRMA charger in town also meant our total charge costs for the trip to and from Port Macquarie were less than $40.

Driving an EV definitely requires some self-education and compromise but, once you get the hang of things, the environmental upsides mean the effort is worth it.

The post 5 mistakes I made as a EV road trip newbie appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• Types of electric car
• Driving ranges for electric cars
• How do you charge an EV?
• EV charger levels: Slow, medium and fast
• Types of EV charging plugs
• Charging at home
• Charging at a public charging station

Range anxiety is simply the fear that the car battery will be empty before you reach your destination or a charging station. In a country where many people like to drive a few hundred kilometres or more in a single trip, and where government support for EVs and charging stations has been slow to appear, this is a natural concern. 

EV ranges are in fact practical enough for most trips, and there are several charging options available, though it’s not all good news. We take you through the options for charging an EV at home and while out and about, including the types of charger, how long they take to charge the car, typical costs and more.

Types of electric car

There are three types of vehicle that use electric motors. Of these, plug-in hybrid EVs and battery EVs can be charged directly by plugging into a charger, while standard hybrid vehicles charge themselves.

• Hybrid vehicles (aka “mild” hybrids) have both an internal combustion engine (ICE) (i.e. a petrol or diesel engine) and an electric engine with a very small battery; the battery is charged only by the ICE and by energy captured while braking. It can’t be charged directly by plugging the car into a power point. The combination of ICE and electric engines makes hybrid vehicles very fuel-efficient, but still dependent on petrol or diesel fuel.
• Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are similar to regular hybrid vehicles, and the battery is charged in the same way, but it can also be charged directly by plugging the car into a power source. A PHEV battery is larger than in a regular hybrid, but smaller than those in pure battery electric vehicles. PHEVs can do short trips purely on battery power (up to 80km or so, depending on the car), meaning that short commutes and shopping runs can be done as an electric vehicle, with the petrol or diesel engine for backup and for longer journeys. PHEVs offer a lot of flexibility, but like regular hybrids, they come with the service and maintenance costs of an internal combustion engine, and are dependent on petrol or diesel fuel.
• Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are purely electric, and therefore need much larger batteries than a PHEV, but don’t have any dependency on petrol or diesel fuel, and their electric motors are comparatively simple and inexpensive to maintain.

Driving ranges for electric cars

PHEVs generally have a longer driving range than most purely electric BEVs, thanks to the petrol or diesel engine; and if you’re on a very long journey, refuelling a petrol car from empty to full is much faster than charging a BEV. But in electric-only mode, PHEVs have a much shorter range, because of the smaller battery and added weight of the internal combustion engine.

Typical ranges of BEVs

Battery size: The range, or driving distance, for a BEV is largely determined by the size (capacity) of its battery. The battery size is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). You may be used to seeing battery power measured in amp-hours (Ah), for instance with power tools, but useable battery capacity also depends on voltage. Kilowatt-hours are a more convenient unit because they factor in voltage as well, and give you one simple number to rate the battery size, much the same way that the size of the tank in a petrol car is a useful indicator of its range (assuming you also know its fuel efficiency).

Note that the actual usable capacity of the battery is usually a bit less than the overall stated capacity. For example a 64kWh battery might have 62kWh of usable energy. That’s because most lithium batteries shouldn’t be fully discharged to zero, as it can damage the battery, and the battery management system will not allow it.

Battery chemistry: Different types of lithium battery are currently in use in EVs. The most common type is lithium nickel manganese cobalt (NMC), which has good energy density (i.e. more stored energy for the weight), and is typically used in longer-range cars. However it contains cobalt, a metal with limited availability and problematic production, and these batteries have a higher risk of thermal runaway (fires) than other types. (Fires caused by EV batteries are thankfully rare, but they can be very severe when they do happen.) It’s generally recommended to keep NMC batteries charged only up to about 80%, to maintain ideal battery health, though an occasional 100% should be OK.

Another increasingly common type is lithium iron phosphate, aka lithium ferrous phosphate or LFP. This has less energy density than NMC batteries, so it doesn’t give as much range per kg of battery weight, but is cheaper to make, less susceptible to thermal runaway, and doesn’t contain certain problematic materials such as cobalt. LFP batteries are currently found in base model Tesla RWD models, some MG models and cars from BYD, among others. LFP batteries can be charged more regularly to 100%, and indeed some manufacturers recommend this. 

WLTP driving range: You’ll often see the driving range quoted as the “WLTP” range. WLTP stands for World harmonized Light-duty vehicles Test Procedure, and is a standardised set of tests designed to measure a car’s fuel efficiency and exhaust emissions in realistic driving situations. It also measures the actual driving range of a BEV.

As for any car, the driving range for a PHEV or EV will usually be reduced by long mountain climbs, carrying more passengers and luggage, headwinds, and driving at high speeds. Very cold and hot temperatures also tend to reduce battery performance. Use the claimed driving ranges as a guide, not a guarantee.

As you can see, the battery size isn’t the only factor in the driving range; for example, a bigger heavier car may get less range from a given battery size than a smaller lighter car.

What EVs are available in Australia?

The Electric Vehicle Council lists the on the Australian market on its site.

For a more comprehensive look at the range of pure electric BEVs, PHEVs and hybrid cars on offer in Australia, go to the Government’s Green Vehicle Guide and look for the . Search by fuel type and find out the range, annual fuel costs and energy consumption for each model.

How do you charge an EV?

All plug-in EVs in Australia have a lithium-ion battery. The plugs and connectors can differ between makes of vehicle so not all types of charge points can be used with all vehicles. 

There are two things to know about the connection used between an EV and the EV charging station.

1. How fast will it charge the car?
2. What type of connection is the plug? 

EV charger levels: Slow, medium and fast

EV chargers are graded into three levels, based on how fast they can charge an EV’s battery.

In this section, we use three types of cars as examples for charging times on the different levels of charger:

• very small battery PHEV: such as a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander, 13.8kWh battery
• small to medium battery: such as a 2021 base model Nissan Leaf, 40kWh battery, or MG ZS EV, 44.5kWh battery
• large battery: such as a 2021 Tesla Model 3 Long Range, 75kWh battery.

Types of EV charging plugs

The level of power that the charging point on the wall can deliver is only one part of the EV charging situation; the other is the type of charging port on the charger and the car itself. These plugs and ports have multiple pins; some are for transferring electricity, and others are data connections used by the car and charging station to manage the electricity flow in the best way. Some EVs have multiple connection type options. 

Type 1

This is a five-pin design, not so common in Australia these days. Also known as J1772 or SAE J1772, it’s mainly found on older models of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV or Nissan Leaf.

Type 2

A seven-pin design, this is the standard type used in Australia and it’s what you’ll find on pretty much all current BEVs sold in Australia. It’s also known as an IEC 62196 or Mennekes plug.

CHAdeMo

Short for “charge de move” (“move using charge” or “charge and go” in French) but also  “(o)cha de mo ikaga desuka” (“do you want some tea?” in Japanese, symbolising that the car can charge in the time it takes you to have a tea break). This is a fast charger connection used by several EV brands, mainly Japanese but including some European brands.

CCS

Another fast charger type of connection, CCS (Combined Charging System) has a set of small pins and two large pins below them. There are two types: CCS1 (compatible with Type 1 connections) and CCS2 (compatible with Type 2 connections). In Australia, many EV brands have a CCS2 port on the car, also known as a CCS Combo, meaning it can plug into either a Type 2 charger or a CCS fast charger. This is good because you can use a Type 2 charger at home, and a CCS fast charger when out and about. Cars featuring this CCS2 Combo port include the Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Ioniq and Porsche Taycan among many others.

Adaptors

There are many adaptors available to allow a car with one plug type to connect to a different type of charging station. There are limits of course; not all combinations are available, and while the right adaptor might allow a car to charge from a level 3 fast charger that would otherwise not be compatible, the car battery will still only charge at its own maximum rate. Adaptor connectors or cables usually cost a few hundred dollars, and can be a useful investment if there are conveniently located but otherwise incompatible chargers you’d like to use.

Charging at home

The easiest way for most people to charge their EV at home is with a level 1 charger; that is, using the charging cable supplied with the car, plugged into a regular power point in the garage. 

Installing a level 2 charger is a better long-term solution (albeit with costs involved) as it will deliver much faster charging, and can get most EVs to a full charge overnight. There are several companies specialising in installing EV chargers in homes. An online search for “home EV charger installation” will bring up several options. We recommend that you contact two or three for quotes.

For most freestanding homes with a garage, or at least with off-street parking, a level 1 or level 2 charger should be an option.

Cost of charging at home

• This depends on whatever your electricity tariff is at the time of charging. For example, fully charging a Nissan Leaf with a 40kWh battery, on a tariff of 30c/kWh, from 10% charge to full, comes to about $12 (there is usually some power lost in the transfer from charger to battery).
• If you’ve got solar panels, then charging your EV during daytime will be very cheap. Of course many EVs will be most often charged at night. 
• You’ll get the best charging efficiency if your parking area is at a moderate temperature. If it is freezing cold or boiling hot, the battery efficiency will reduce and you might not be able to charge it as fully.

But for apartments, homes with no off-street parking, and rented properties, there can be significant challenges to overcome in order to charge an EV at home.

Charging at a public charging station

When you’re out on the road, or if you don’t have the option of charging the EV at home, you’ll need to be familiar with the network of public chargers in your area or on your route. Australia is lagging behind many countries when it comes to rolling out EV charging stations, but there are more available than you might think (especially in major cities and on major highways). As of late 2022, it’s estimated that we have between 3000 and 4000 public chargers in Australia; a relatively tiny amount compared to many other countries, but the number is growing.

There are a few types of public chargers. 

Commercial public chargers

Companies such as Chargefox, Evie and Jolt have their own networks of publicly available DC fast chargers. You’ll need to have an account with each company in order to use their chargers. This is usually simple to set up, and you’ll need to use their smartphone apps when charging your EV at their stations to manage payments and account details. Alternatively, many offer the option of an RFID card (a credit-card-sized card with an embedded chip, linked to your account) which you can use instead; these can be useful in areas with poor mobile phone reception.

Tesla chargers

There are two types of public Tesla charger: Tesla destination chargers, and Tesla superchargers.

Tesla destination chargers are AC Type 2 chargers, installed at sites such as hotels, cinemas, restaurants and so on, for the use of their guests. These are sometimes set for use only by Tesla vehicles, but can be programmed for use by any EV. They may be free for guests, or you may have to pay for using them, as the location operator sees fit.

Tesla superchargers are fast DC charging stations, capable of very high charging speeds. There are currently more than 60 of these locations around the country, and they have a good reputation for reliability and upkeep, as well as integration with Tesla vehicle software to allow for easy navigation to a charger when needed.

In the past they have been for Tesla owners only, but as of August 2023 Tesla has made about half of its supercharger sites open to non-Tesla drivers. Non-Tesla drivers will be charged a higher price per kWh at these sites than Tesla drivers, though that price can be reduced if you buy a charging membership.

To use a Tesla supercharger, you need to have a Tesla account with a payment method set up (regardless of which brand of EV you are charging) and the Tesla app set up on your smartphone.

Motoring organisations

The NRMA is rolling out a charger network for its members, RACQ has partnered with government and industry to set up chargers along the (QESH), and RACV partners with Chargefox to give its members discounted access to that network.

Council and shopping centre car parks

Many council and shopping centre car parks have some form of EV chargers set up. These are often AC level 2 chargers; some require you to bring your own charging cable while other have the cable built in. Charging is often free, as a drawcard for shoppers, but that’s likely to change in future as EVs become more commonplace. 

Some carparks have also got DC fast chargers, usually managed by one of the commercial networks mentioned above.

There are standard 10A power points to be found in some car parks, where you could plug in your level 1 charger, but check first that the car park owner permits this. 

Payment methods

Some charger operators and EV brands have set up bundled deals, giving free or discounted access to particular charging networks with the car. Nevertheless, any EV owner wanting to use chargers owned by different operators (and you almost certainly will need to) may need multiple apps and accounts. It’s worth planning ahead before any long trip to make sure you’re as ready as possible for your charging stops.

For branded charging stations — Tesla superchargers, Chargefox, Evie, Jolt and others — you should expect to need to use their smartphone app with an account set up. When you set up your account, you’ll need to choose a payment method; usually your credit card details, but they may have other options such as Google Pay, Apple Pay or PayPal.

Some charging stations are fairly generic and as long as you have the right plug type (typically a Type 2 charger), you can use the station. Payment, if required, is usually by tapping your credit card or smartphone. These stations may be located in shopping centre car parks, council car parks, or roadside charging bays.

Finding a public charging station

There are a few websites for locating public charging stations: here are some examples.

Cost of public chargers

Typical fees for using a public charger are:

• level 2 charger: 25c per kWh
• level 3 50kW fast charger: 45-50c per kWh
• level 3 350kW fast charger: 60-65c per kWh

These fees can vary depending on the operator of the charging station. Other fees may also apply, such as a penalty for leaving your car too long in the charging bay after it has finished charging (to encourage users to free up the bay for other EV drivers).

While EVs are still relatively new and rare, some charging stations are offering free usage. This helps them to attract EV drivers to their location and to gauge the demand for the service. 

The post Electric vehicle charging appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• Why ÌÇÐÄVlog got an electric car
• Why we chose the Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin
• Driver first impressions
• Verdict

ÌÇÐÄVlog has long had a company car to help staff run work-related errands or in-the-field product tests. In 2022 we decided it was time to retire our Holden Cruze and replace it with an electric vehicle (EV). We took delivery of the new EV this year: a Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin pure electric. 

Here, we explain why we chose this vehicle and give some first impressions of what it’s like to drive and own.

Why ÌÇÐÄVlog got an electric car

Electric vehicle (EV) ownership is growing rapidly in Australia and it’s clear that electric cars will become the norm over the next several years. But they remain a relatively pricey option for now, and many Australians are unfamiliar with the technology and unsure how it will fit their needs. Clearly there’s a role for ÌÇÐÄVlog to help inform consumers here, so providing advice on EVs is one of our ongoing strategic goals.

But like most Australians, many ÌÇÐÄVlog staff aren’t EV owners yet and aren’t personally familiar with them. So as a step towards helping more of our staff become familiar with EVs, and in turn being better able to write about them, it made sense to invest in an EV at this time.

The 211kW solar PV system on the ÌÇÐÄVlog office roof makes charging the EV dirt cheap and certainly environmentally cleaner than running an internal combustion engine (ICE) model, i.e. a petrol or diesel car.

Since finishing the staff trial of the Volvo, ÌÇÐÄVlog has installed two 22kW Type 2 EV chargers in its staff car park to allow easy and fast charging of the Volvo and to provide a charging option for staff-owned EVs as well. More chargers will likely be added in the future as EV ownership becomes more common. This will assist staff members to make the transition to EV ownership, particularly for those who don’t have the option to charge at or near their home.

Owning an EV is one step in our commitment to being a carbon neutral organisation.

Why we chose the Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin

We considered several models, such as the Tesla Model 3, Kia EV6 and Hyundai Kona, but settled on the Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin, mainly because:

• it has a decent amount of practical boot space (handy if you have to lug lawnmowers or other gear out to a test)
• it has useful ground clearance (ditto)
• it’s easy and familiar to operate – any experienced driver can just use the key fob, get in and drive it away with very little instruction. As this car may be driven by many different staff members, that’s an important consideration.

Driver first impressions

We gave the Volvo to two staff members to use for a week each. Both are experienced drivers and neither currently owns an EV or has much hands-on experience with them. Here are their thoughts on how the car is to drive, their experiences with charging it, and whether it made them want to own an EV. 

One of the main lessons learned is that the first few times using a charging station can be frustrating. Drivers switching for the first time from their petrol or diesel car often won’t know the ins and outs of charging an EV, especially navigating the various types of public chargers and networks. We want to see clear instructions on every charger that include the price of charging, and a simple tap-and-go payment system with credit card or smartphone, regardless of who owns or operates the charger itself.

Verdict

The Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin is a very pleasant drive. It’s quiet, handles well, and feels comfortable and practical for commuting and highway driving. It certainly feels like a good choice for ÌÇÐÄVlog.

Our two staff members enjoyed their experience with the Volvo, but both were dependent on public chargers for the period they were using it. Being able to charge at home or at work is still a big advantage for an EV driver. Relying on public chargers presented a few challenges and highlighted that in many areas there just aren’t enough charging stations yet.

The post Road-testing the Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin pure electric vehicle appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

Australians are keen to embrace electric vehicles (EVs), but concerns about cost and charging infrastructure are holding them back, new data shows.

ÌÇÐÄVlog is pushing for changes to allay these anxieties and has made a series of recommendations to the federal government for its upcoming EV strategy.

Research finds strong interest in electric vehicles

In an October 2022 survey of more than 13,500 members and supporters, ÌÇÐÄVlog found many believed using an EV would help the environment and the health of their community, but a variety of factors were preventing them from doing so.

Of the survey respondents, 69% said they would consider an EV for the next car they bought or leased, but only 5.59% had actually purchased an EV in the past five years.

The main barriers to respondents were the cost of buying the vehicle, concern over whether there were enough charging stations and a belief there weren’t enough EV makes and models to choose from.

With the federal government currently formulating its , ÌÇÐÄVlog has used this feedback from consumers to make six recommendations for how Australia could better pave the road to EV transition.

Recommendations

1. Make EVs more affordable

Upfront cost was the biggest obstacle stopping consumers from switching to an EV, with 70% of survey respondents saying high prices were preventing them from buying one.

“Many people told us they were interested in electric vehicles and aware of their benefits, but that they were currently out of their budget,” says ÌÇÐÄVlog senior campaigns and policy adviser Alex Söderlund.

84% of those surveyed indicated they would like to see the government intervene to help make EVs more affordable – something Söderlund says ÌÇÐÄVlog is advocating for:

“Targeted and means-tested financial assistance will be beneficial in helping make sure that the electric vehicle market is accessible to all consumers, not just those on high incomes.”

2. Improve charging infrastructure

Anxiety about the distance between EV chargers is also causing consumer concern, with 47% of survey respondents saying fear of the car’s battery running out while they’re on the road was stopping them from embracing electric travel.

It’s a concern Tracey O’Neill knows well. Living in regional Victoria and often driving several hours each day for work, O’Neill believes there aren’t enough chargers along her route for her to give up her petrol car just yet.

“I’d just be worried about whether I’d be able to charge it in between and, when I get to one place, that I’ll have a position that I can charge it in and then be able to get back home,” she explains, saying more charging points that would charge a vehicle quickly would ease her concerns.

Installation of such infrastructure is another initiative ÌÇÐÄVlog wants to see included in the federal government’s EV strategy, with a specific focus on providing chargers that can be used with any vehicle and by renters and people living regionally or in apartments.

Read more with the ÌÇÐÄVlog guide to electric vehicles.

3. Boost the second-hand EV market

O’Neill says the 12-month wait time she was presented with when she enquired about buying a new EV has also caused her to hesitate – a second-hand EV is something she’s “absolutely” interested in.

It’s a sentiment Söderlund says Australia can tap into, once a big enough market of vehicles exists.

“Many consumers said they’d like to purchase vehicles second-hand – but the market is currently too small to meet the needs of the community,” she explains.

As a remedy, ÌÇÐÄVlog says there should be incentives for governments and businesses to include more EVs in their fleets, to stimulate growth in the second-hand market and build a base of more affordable vehicles.

“As government and business EV fleets are replaced, the older cars will flow out into the general second-hand market,” Söderlund says. 

“This will mean more consumers will have access to the EV market and purchase options that suit their needs.”

4. Enforce stronger standards for more efficient cars

Car fuel efficiency standards are also on ÌÇÐÄVlog’s EV wish list. Introducing such measures, Söderlund says, would create a more fertile regulatory environment for EVs (and even high-efficiency petrol cars) in Australia.

“Manufacturers aren’t incentivised to sell electric vehicles in Australia, because it means diverting cars from faster-growing markets that have clear rules and incentives,” she says.

“Strong mandatory standards would result in a more efficient and competitive market for cars in Australia.”

Such standards were supported by 84% of survey respondents, with some participants worried continuing without them could see Australia become a dumping ground for the worst vehicles.

5. Provide independent information based on rigorous testing

ÌÇÐÄVlog is also calling for independent and locally-relevant information on the performance and reliability of EVs to be made available through the government’s to enable consumers to make better choices.

Söderlund says existing performance data is produced by manufacturers testing vehicles in “optimal conditions” and argues the comparatively longer distances and harsher environments faced by many Australian drivers mean the industry needs to go the extra mile in its research and testing.

“It’s important that the cars we’re driving in Australia are tested in Australia and that consumers know how a vehicle is expected to perform in the place where they live,” she says.

6. Establish strong safety standards and repair rights

Finally, ÌÇÐÄVlog is also urging the government’s strategy to set in place a robust safety net for users of EVs as their market share grows.

Söderlund says it’s important to get solid consumer safeguards in place early to make the EV sector more sustainable in the long run.

“The Australian community expects EVs to be reliable and easy to fix and that they should not face long wait times when they need their electric vehicle repaired,” she says.

“Repairing faulty electric vehicles, rather than relying on costly replacements, will ensure the longevity of vehicles and expand the second-hand market and provide consumers with more options.”

The post Six ways to unleash Australia’s electric vehicle potential appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

But are these new green loans as worthy financially as they are environmentally? And how do you find the loan that’s right for you? We take a look at your options.

What is a green car loan?

Green car loans are marketed as an incentive for consumers to buy qualifying eco-friendly vehicles instead of standard petrol cars, which are more damaging to the environment. 

Green loans are different from standard car loans in that they generally come with lower interest rates or certain waived fees.

Green car loans are just one of several environmentally friendly initiatives  that Australian financial lenders are now offering on a range of qualifying products. 

These include green products for your home, such as solar panels, water tanks, insulation, double glazing and energy-efficient appliances. 

You can now also invest in a green home loan that comes with discounted interest rates for energy-efficient houses that have a smaller environmental footprint. 

‘Like any other car loan’

Andy Kollmorgen, investigations editor at ÌÇÐÄVlog, has some sage advice on green car loans: “Most people would agree that reducing our individual carbon footprint is a good thing, and buying an eco-friendly car is one way to do that,” he says. 

“With green car loans, some lenders offer incentives in the form of better rates for certain models. Creating less car pollution is certainly a worthy goal, but prospective car buyers should approach the transaction like any other car loan.”

What is an ‘eligible’ eco-friendly car?

A vehicle’s eligibility for a green loan depends entirely on a lender’s criteria – and these can vary. If there’s one particular eco-vehicle you want, do your homework to make sure it meets your lender’s specified requirements.  

You can review and compare a range of eco-vehicle makes and models using the government’s . This gives information on the environmental performance of light vehicles sold in Australia and will help you determine whether the car you want meets your lender’s criteria.

Are green car loans cheaper than standard car loans?

Green car loans aren’t necessarily cheaper than standard car loans, so do your homework and compare all loan options, fees and conditions carefully to make sure you get the best deal possible and the right fit for you.

Can a green car loan save me money?

Electric vehicles are an expensive outlay, but you can save money on running costs such as fuel. Depending on where you live and which car you’re looking at, there are also some state and federal incentives that can help reduce the costs of buying a new electric or hybrid car. 

A green car loan can potentially reduce the interest rate on a car loan, which will save you money over the period of the loan and could help you pay it off sooner. But, as with any other loan, you should shop around before you choose a policy, as you could save thousands of dollars in interest.

Other pros and cons

Lending criteria for green car loans can be extremely strict, so you’ll need to do some thorough homework about your chosen vehicle’s eligibility. Also, some eco cars can cost more than standard new cars, so your loan amount may be higher. 

ÌÇÐÄVlog’s Andy Kollmorgen suggests reading the fine print to make sure you can afford not only the regular payments, but also any fees, charges and balloon payments (a lump sum you may have to pay the lender at the end of the loan term). 

“In general, a personal loan from a bank or other lender is a better idea than car-dealer finance, and always read the terms of conditions of any loan with a keen eye,” he says.

Also, if you choose a loan with a variable interest rate, you should be aware that your regular payment may change. 

Which lenders offer green car loans?

The Australian market for eco-friendly low-emission vehicles lags behind the rest of the world, so there aren’t as many green car loan policies on offer as there are standard car loans.

Here, we look at some lenders that offer green loans to see what their rates and fees include. (All rates and fees were current in July 2021.)

Bank Australia

Bank Australia (formally MECU) was the first Australian bank to switch to 100% renewable energy and boasts a range of public commitments to sustainability and environmental practices. It markets its low-emissions vehicle (LEV) loans as an incentive for consumers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Australia.

Vehicles qualifying for LEV pricing benefits can be new or used, but must be purely electric, plug-in hybrid electric, regenerative hybrid or have internal combustion engines that produce less than 125g/km tailpipe CO2 (g/km) as published by the .

Rates

Fixed rate: 5.45% a year.Comparative rate: 5.45% a year.

Bank Australia will also take one percent off its normal car loan interest rate for qualifying LEV cars. 

Fees

A one-off $150 establishment fee which is waived for vehicles that meet an Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) rating of five stars.

Bank First

Bank First describes its green car loan as a way to reward its customers’ eco-friendly choices.Eligible cars must have a CO2 value of 180g/km or less – generally, this will include new cars, hybrid cars or cars that have lower emissions for their size. To find out if your car is eligible, email the bank directly.

Rates

Promotional fixed rate: 5.29% a year (three percent off the standard rate).
Promotional comparison rate: 5.56% a year (three percent off the standard rate).

Fees

A one-off $195 establishment fee, with no ongoing fees. 

Bendigo Bank

Offers a secure green personal loan that can be used for A-rated vehicles emitting less than 130g oCO2 per kilometre.

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Fixed interest rate: 6.79% a year.
Comparison rate: 7.21% a year.

Fees

An application fee of $150 and a document preparation fee of $100. There may also be ongoing and miscellaneous fees, depending on your circumstances. 

Beyond Bank

This 100% customer-owned bank offers green loans for a range of environmental purposes. There are two car-loan options for eligible vehicles (combined tailpipe CO2 emissions of 180gm/km): 

Environmental Low Rate Car Loan 

Rates

Interest rate: 6.24% a year.
Comparison rate: 6.93% a year.

Fees

There are a range of fees depending on your circumstances, including an establishment fee ($175), a security documentation fee ($25), a monthly admin fee ($5) and a Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) search and registration fee ($17.50 each).

Environmental No Fee Car Loan

Rates

Interest rate: 7.24% a year.
Comparison rate: 7.24% a year.

Fees

None.

Loans.com.au

This lender offers what it calls a 0.7% discount if you buy a ‘qualifying’ green car. One of the lender’s representatives can explain what ‘qualifying’ means over the phone. But the website also says that if a car is a new or demonstration vehicle and is more efficient than average for a car of its size – or is a hybrid vehicle – it’s likely to be eligible. 

Rates

Fixed rate: 3.97% a year.
Comparison rate: 4.51% a year.

Fees

A one-off single establishment fee of $400 and no monthly account-keeping fees.

Police Bank

Police Bank offers green loans for electric vehicles and other green initiatives. You don’t need to be employed by the police to get a loan, but you will need to apply for membership of Police Bank.

Rates

Fixed rate: 5.79% a year.
Comparison rate: 5.92% a year.

Fees

There is an establishment fee of $98, but no ongoing account-keeping fees. A fee applies for early payout of the loan based on how much you have left owing. 

Transport Mutual Credit Union

The credit union is currently promoting an initiative called The GreenRoad, which it describes as “a green loan for electric or hybrid vehicles, and the means to power them”.

Details on which vehicles are eligible isn’t readily available, so you’ll have to contact the union directly. However, the website states that electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and bicycles (including e-bikes) are included.

Rates

GreenRoad car loan –
Interest rate: 4.74% a year.
Comparison rate: 5.04% a year.

Fees

An establishment fee of $220.

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