Australia remains behind in charging facilities, with less than a third of the number of public chargers for every EV on the road compared to the worldwide average.

Significant challenges and recent progress have marked Australia’s journey toward adopting electric vehicles (EV). Critics have historically labeled Australia as a “dumping ground” for some of the world’s most polluting vehicles, reflecting political opposition to EV-friendly policies and a lack of affordable options for Australians wanting to transition to zero-emissions transport. Indeed, previous governmental rhetoric famously dismissed electric vehicles as threats to the Australian lifestyle, with claims they would “end the weekend” by limiting personal travel. Even the automobile industry has noted the negative impacts of Australia’s lack of fuel efficiency standards, making the country a less attractive market for newer, cleaner engine technologies​. However, the landscape appears to be shifting toward greener alternatives.

Over the past 5 years, there have been indications that electric vehicle sales have gained momentum, with 91,292 new electric vehicles being bought in 2024. This represents 7.4% of the 1,237,287 new vehicles purchased over the year. However, while this shows increased EV uptake in general, Australia still has a long way to go. EV purchases grew 94% between 2021 and 2022 (with sales of 33,410 in 2022), yet the 2024 figure represents only a 4.7% growth from 2023. Some commentators believe this is because early adopters have already purchased their EV, and it is likely much more difficult to separate others from their petrol/diesel habit.

Several factors contribute to the relatively low adoption rates. The lack of domestic manufacturing, high vehicle costs, and limited model availability have held EV adoption nationwide. Concerns about the range of EVs and the vast distances often travelled in Australia have also contributed to range anxiety, discouraging quicker adoption rates​. This anxiety continues to this day, with several car manufacturers selling fewer EVs in 2024 than in 2023.

Looking at the historical progression, in 2019, there were only about 2,216 EVs in Australia. By 2023 this had grown to over 180,000 electric vehicles on Australian roads, accounting for approximately 7.4% of all new car sales. Industry analysts project continued growth, with Statista estimating an annual growth rate. However, specific projections should be treated with caution given the rapid changes in the market. In 2024, the leading make and manufacturer of new EVs in Australia was Tesla with the Model Y (21,253) and Model 3 (17,094) units sold. This was followed by the MG4 (6,934) and BYD Seal (6,393) and BYD Atto 3 (5,751). Most EVs are imported, with just over three quarters (77%) sourced from China.

Figure 1: EV sales in Australia 2011-2024. Source: Electric Vehicle Council State of Electric Vehicles 2024

One significant barrier to EV adoption has been the lack of charging infrastructure. However, this is steadily improving. As of 2024, there are over 2,500 EV charging stations across Australia, including more than 1,000 fast-charging sites. This number is a 90% increase in high power charging locations compared to 2023, when there were only around 581 fast charging sites. Projects like the Queensland Electric Super Highway have helped kickstart the development of charging infrastructure. Other states such as New South Wales have also made significant investments to co-fund ultra-rapid chargers (350kW), as part of their goal to build a fast charging network with chargers less than 5km apart in metropolitan areas, and 100km apart on major roads and highways. Despite this progress, Australia remains behind in charging facilities, with less than a third of the number of public chargers for every EV on the road compared to the worldwide average.

Figure 2: Charging stations availability. Source: Electric Vehicle Council State of Electric Vehicles 2024

On the emissions front, although there’s a notable shift towards EVs, hybrids remain popular, generating slightly lower emissions than traditional cars but still relying on fossil fuels. As a result, for Australia to achieve its emissions target it will need over 50% of all new car sales to be EVs by 2030. Since 2005, transport related emissions have increased by 19%, and are currently the third largest sector, accounting for 21% of the country’s total emissions. There is some encouraging news within these projections, with modelling suggesting emissions will reduce 3% from 2024 to 2030 and 19% from 2024 to 2040. This is primarily due to the impact of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard legislated by the federal government, which sets progressive targets for reducing vehicle emissions.

Figure 3: Transport emissions in Australia from 1990 projected to 2040. Source: Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Australia’s emissions projections 2024.

However, while electric vehicle uptake is generally improving, there is still a long way to go. The latest car sales data for the country indicates that fuel guzzling utility vehicles remain the most popular vehicles for Australian new car buyers. As a result, some have suggested that parking lot sizes must increase to account for the dominance of SUVs and large vehicles on streets. Hybrids appear more popular than EVs, locking the country into decades of unnecessary carbon emissions through their hybrid fossil fuel motors. Furthermore, the reliance on polluting freight transport to cover large distances across the country, given the lack of suitable fast, zero-emission rail services, means that the country will likely continue to rely on a highly polluting fleet in the foreseeable future.

This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard Australia Country Manager Robyn Gulliver.

Contact Details

Contact details for the agency and the person in charge of supervising domestic transportation.

• Department name: Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, Commonwealth Government of Australia
• Relevant Minister: Catherine King
• Contact:
  • Parliament Office: House of Representatives, Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600, Tel: +61 2 6277 7520, Email: King@mo.infrastructure.gov.au
  • Electorate Office: 5 Lydiard Street North, Ballarat VIC 3350, Australia