Extract from ABC News
Rising petrol prices fuel electric vehicle market boom in Tasmania.
Penny Cocker splashed the cash and bought her first electric vehicle just over a year ago, and she hasn't looked back.
Key points:
- Skyrocketing petrol prices have urged many Tasmanians to turn to electric vehicles and their popularity is booming
- There are currently 1,025 registered electric vehicles in Tasmania, while there were just 56 EV purchases in Tasmania between 2011 and 2016
- The electric vehicle uptake is still small, with price and range anxiety some of the main factors
"It took me a while to spend the money," she said.
"My joke is I bought the cheapest one, the more honest statement is I bought the least expensive."
The chair of the Tasmanian branch of the Electric Vehicle Association is among a growing number of Tasmanians buying electric vehicles.
"I absolutely love driving electric vehicles, you never want to drive a petrol car again once you drive an electric vehicle, they are so nice to drive," she said.
"And of course, the cost, I'm not shelling out for petrol every day. Irrespective of the price, petrol is still an expensive component of owning a car.
Skyrocketing petrol prices have urged many Tasmanians to turn to electric vehicles and their popularity is booming.
There are currently 1,025 registered electric vehicles in Tasmania.
The figure includes 637 cars, 267 station wagons and 111 motorcycles.
Between 2011 and 2016, there were just 56 EV purchases in Tasmania.
But when compared to Tasmania's 687,000 registered vehicles, the electric vehicle uptake is small.
Second-hand EVs see demand skyrocket
The demand might be rising in Tasmania, but the cost of a new EV is prohibitive for many.
One company is trying to change that.
The Good Car Company imports cheaper second-hand vehicles which come from Japan or the United Kingdom and start from $17,000, almost half the price of the cheapest new electric car in Australia.
Co-founder of The Good Car Company, Anthony Broese van Groenou, said demand for their used vehicles was high.
"We've seen demand skyrocket over the last few months," he said.
"We've got a massive rise in fuel price that's driven a lot of people to be searching for a cheaper option for being able to drive around and these are people that wouldn't normally be looking at electric cars or maybe weren't considering them for another few years at least."
He estimates they have sold 200 electric vehicles in Tasmania in the last two months.
"As soon as we list them they disappear which is great but it also means that it's hard to get stock here on the ground for people to be able to test drive and get to know the vehicles," he said.
"We're definitely outstripped for demand.
"In Tasmania, we get thousands of inquiries every week so that waitlist just keeps on growing."
'$1.50 for 100km'
Once you have committed to buying an electric car, sellers claim you will save on the on-road costs.
"If you're plugging into a normal power point at home and using your regular energy tariff, then it's about $3 for 100 kilometres," Mr Broese van Groenou said.
Ms Cocker paid about $45,000 for her electric car last year and said the second-hand EV market was making it more affordable for many.
"A lot of people are quite prepared to spend $20,000 and $30,000 on a car, whereas paying $40,000, $50,000, $60,000 is quite a different story."
It will cost about $150 to have the battery annually serviced.
Buyers are waiting about four months for a second-hand vehicle and up to a year for a new one.
Some still worried about range
Advocacy officer from the RACT, Garry Bailey, said the price of owning a new electric vehicle has been an impediment to ownership.
"They're significantly more expensive," he said.
He says many people are making the switch for a number of reasons.
"You might pay more for an EV but the running costs are about half of petrol-driven or diesel-driven vehicles," Mr Bailey said.
"Also greater environmental awareness, people are aware you have a lower impact on the environment; there are no vehicle emissions."
Some who can afford an electric vehicle are still reluctant.
"There's also range anxiety, how far you think you can go before you have to recharge but that's certainly improving as well," Mr Bailey said.
"The great thing about Tasmania is we do have an extensive charging network."
There are now dozens of charging stations throughout the island state.
The Tasmanian government is also on board and is transitioning its fleet to electric vehicles.
They also have a stamp duty waiver in place for the purchase of new and second-hand electric vehicles which runs until next year.
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