Australian electric vehicle sales reached a new record high in 2024, with 114,000 new battery electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) sold.
While an improvement on last year’s numbers of 98,000 EVs, Australia still lags behind the rest of the world, where EV uptake has increased to the point that one in every five vehicles is an EV.
The more environmentally friendly vehicles are growing rapidly in popularity, with 17 million sold globally in 2024, a 20% increase from 2023.
A long way to go
Australia has a lot of ground to make up in terms of EV uptake compared to the rest of the world (EVs account for 17.3% of the car market in the EU and a whopping 38% in China), but we’re certainly trending the right way.
"Last year's steady increase in EV sales and market share builds on a bumper 2023,” Electric Vehicle Council head of policy, legal and advocacy Aman Gaur said.
“Year after year, electric vehicle sales in Australia continue to climb, proving that demand for cleaner, more affordable driving is here and it’s rising.
“This growth includes an increase in the share of BEVs sold in Australia, with pure electric vehicles still making up the majority of overall EV sales.”
Gaur said the increase in sales was particularly encouraging when considering high interest rates and high cost of living, as well as the withdrawal of several EV incentives.
“It’s not just Australians’ desire to purchase an EV that’s driving the rise in sales – the increase in charging infrastructure, wider range of models at more competitive prices and the continuation of key purchase incentives have all played a crucial role in encouraging the next wave of EV owners to buy,” Gaur explained.
"Despite the progress, Australia still has a long way to go to achieve its climate and EV targets, and match adoption rates of other developed nations.
“The introduction of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard this year is a promising step forward, but accelerating momentum will also require increased investment in infrastructure, more incentives, updated regulations, nationally consistent policies, and proactive efforts to combat misinformation.”