Pole star

• Teslas and Polestars are expensive, leaving them as playthings for wealthier Australians and out of reach for the mortgage belt.
• As residents in the outer suburbs reel from price rises seemingly everywhere, more and more are turning to electric vehicles (EVs) to slash their fuel bill.
• Last year, EV orders for outer suburban residents (43%) overtook inner suburban residents (39%) for the first time.

Outer suburbs rely on cars

• Research from 2020 shows most outer suburban residents who commute have to travel between 10 and 30 kilometres.
• This affects outer suburban, rural and regional residents the most, given they cover the most distance.
• Outer suburban residents are more likely to have solar on their rooftops than inner suburban residents in Sydney and Melbourne.

• In fact, the outer suburbs are better placed than inner suburbs in terms of charging cheaply.
• In the inner suburbs, space is at a premium and many houses do not have off-street parking.
• But outer suburban homes tend to have off street parking or a garage, which means you can charge cheaply at home.

EVs versus the cost of living

• It would make financial sense for many of us to switch to EVs to take advantage of much cheaper running and maintenance costs.
• But the higher up-front cost of EVs has long been a disincentive.
• In Australia, the cheapest EVs now start from A$40,000, though most still cost $60,000–$90,000.

What are governments doing?

• Some state governments are trying to accelerate adoption with a range of incentives for EV owners, from subsidies to cheaper registration.
• The interest was so strong in Victoria and South Australia that these governments have wound back some subsidies.
• At a federal level, the proposed new vehicle efficiency standards will encourage carmakers to sell more fuel-efficient vehicles.

What’s next?

• Outer suburban residents are buying electric vehicles for very good reasons: financial prudence, practicality and a cleaner future.
• Read more:
  Electric vehicles are suddenly hot − but the industry has traveled a long road to relevance

Park Thaichon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.