An electric vehicle (EV) is a car that runs on electricity stored in batteries instead of traditional petrol, gasoline or diesel fuel.

EVs use rechargeable batteries to power an electric motor that propels the vehicle. They can be charged by plugging into an electric power source.

Assess your home's suitability for an EV by establishing where you might park your car. Do you have a garage, driveway or parking spot where you can connect a long power cable? Or is there a charging station nearby?

If you live in an apartment block, you may need to discuss with your strata a location to charge your EV. The government is currently subsidising apartments to install EV chargers for residents.

You can charge an EV at home using a normal 3-pin wall plug or purchase a faster home charger. Otherwise look for one of the public charging stations. Some workplaces, shopping centers, and public parking areas offer charging stations as well. Many of them are free up to a certain point.

Apps to help you find chargers and plan trips:

Plug Share

A Better Route Planner

The range of an EV varies by model. Entry-level EVs may have a range of around 300 kms, while high-end models can exceed 600 kms on a single charge.

Charging times depend on the charger type and the EV's battery size. Using an ultrarapid 350kW charger can charge a car in as little as 8 minutes; whereas using a 7kW standard charging point will require around 10 hours from empty to full. Remember, you don’t have to charge it full every time though.

There are more and more EVs on the market all the time! Here are some links you could review (current as of Nov 2023)

Currently Available - NEW

Currently Available - Second hand

Coming soon

The Australian Electric Vehicle Association publishes fact sheets for most EVs

EVs generally have fewer moving parts than internal combustion engine vehicles, leading to lower maintenance costs. They require periodic checks on the battery, motor, and other components but because they don’t have dirty fuel running through them, they need less maintenance and servicing.

Many governments offer incentives, such as tax credits or rebates, to encourage the purchase of electric vehicles.

Federally there is an Electric Car Registration & Tax: Luxury car threshold

In Australia, vehicles with high fuel efficiency, can benefit from a reduced luxury Car Tax, resulting in potential savings of up to $3,920. The tax is charged at 33c for every dollar exceeding a defined limit. The limit for most cars is $71,849 as of 2022, while for fuel-efficient cars it is set higher at $84,916.

The Treasury Laws Amendment Bill outlines a Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) exemption

For qualifying new zero or low emissions vehicles registered from 1st July 2022 onward has been introduced by the Australian Government. Electric cars with a price below or equal to $84,916 (inclusive of GST) are eligible for an FBT exemption. More information is available in the Treasury Laws Amendment (Electric Car Discount) Bill 2022.

There are also non-government subsidies

Like this one: https://www.goodcar.co/good-car-ev-subsidy because private organisations understand the importance of moving toward a cleaner driving future fast.

We’ll help you find a rebate that you are eligible for, suits your needs and can help you get into EV ownership.

It's a good idea to research different models and consider your needs before making a decision. We host open days and we can also put you in touch with EV owners for a chat about their decision pathway.

Does boot space matter to you? Roof racks? How old are your kids? How far do you usually travel?

Let us know and we can talk with you about what’s available.

For low cost EV’s we love The Good Car Co who import EVs from Europe and bring EV’s within reach of every Australian.

The Electric Vehicle Council lists all the electric vehicles you can buy in Australia. There are more than you might think.

The Australian Electric Vehicle Association publishes fact sheets comparing range and availability.

Current models are also listed here.

Or come and talk to us and we will help you decide!

If employed, novated leasing is one of the most affordable ways to own an EV due to tax exemptions (you could shave $8000 off the cost of your EV).

Find out more here

While EVs might have a higher upfront cost, over a 10 year period owning an EV is a small fraction of the cost of a petrol vehicle. EV’s have lower maintenance and operational costs, zero fuel costs and incentives are making EVs accessible to every Australian. Not having to pay for petrol saves thousands of dollars for each household every year and makes them want these savings in their energy bills as well!

A common distraction is to talk about when the battery needs to be replaced. Just like when you upgrade your mobile phone, or petrol vehicle, you’ll likely want to upgrade your car in future. Batteries, like phones, get fancier every year. At the moment, they can return power from the car back to the electrical grid in some states! Replacing your battery won’t be more expensive than a 100,00km service and you would have saved thousands from not buying petrol over the next decade.

EVs contain lithium, which is mined to create batteries. It’s a great resource and it can be recycled.

In 2018, China, which has the largest EV market and lithium-ion battery production, implemented rules around the reuse of EV battery components. Last year, the European Union passed rules for battery recycling that requires a certain percentage of recycled materials to be used in the manufacturing of new batteries. The lithium issue is completely manageable, but is often used as a distraction from the reality. The impact of mining lithium is much smaller than that of petrol extraction. Electric cars are better for people’s health, environment and bank account.

More info here

Can our electric grid handle it? Yes - we get lots of sunshine all day in Australia and can recharge our cars with solar.

The uptake rate of EV's is completely supportable by our grid electricity system. If everyone replaced their next car purchase with an electric car, we would be just fine. In fact, we would all have more money to spend and a cleaner, healthier environment.

Another tactic used is to say that batteries are involved in fires - which is completely debunked. Petrol car (they are also called Internal Combustion Engine or ICE cars) catch fire far more often, e.g. from not having enough coolant. The experts say this argument comes from people who are emotionally attached to their dinosaur-juice-loving 20th century cars and to ignore it. (https://www.evfiresafe.com)

Additionally, a Swedish study from May 2023 showed that petrol cars are more than 20 times likely to catch fire. All fires are extremely rare - it’s just fearmongering against change.

While the upfront cost of EVs can seem high at the moment, we encourage you to factor in the long-term savings when making your calculations. The average Australian household spends over $3000 every year just on fuel costs, compared with a few hundred dollars charging an EV (or free if you can charge it using your daytime solar).

The cost of EVs is also declining, especially if the federal government introduces more policies to support this market transition, such as fuel efficiency standards). This is a rapidly changing space, with new models coming online regularly.

As new EV models are launched and second hand ones hit the resale market, electric cars are still in outstanding condition with clean engines, and minimal wear and tear. They have been selling quickly. Not only have early owners of EV’s saved money but they’ve been able to recoup significant value when they next upgrade.

In the last few years demand for EV’s has been outstripping supply and that has been hugely beneficial for for early adopting owners, with some owners reporting up to 100% resale value.

While no one can accurately predict what a car will be worth three years from now, we’d expect an EV bought today to be worth more than the ‘48% rate after 3 years’ the ATO stipulates.

For businesses, we assume you’re taking advantage of the fringe benefits tax (FBT) exemption that applies to EVs below the luxury car tax threshold, and you are novated leasing, so you will not only get the tax benefits but could also have a car worth more than the final payment on a lease after three years.

Hydrogen is a very inefficient and volatile fuel. In Australia at the moment there are only 2 locations for sourcing Hydrogen fuel. It’s not a viable option for people for at least 15 years, if ever. Electric Vehicles are available now and cheaper to run than traditional cars.