Ban on petrol, diesel vehicles urged as EVs set records
Australians are buying electric vehicles in record numbers, with more than 410,000 electric vehicles hitting the nation’s roads, but experts warn further purchasing and policy changes will be needed to meet climate targets.
These changes could include a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles within a decade, similar to those implemented in the UK and Europe.
The Electric Vehicle Council published the findings in an annual report on the industry on Tuesday, revealing that purchases of electric cars rose 24 percent last year.
Electric charging infrastructure has also grown by 20 per cent, according to the report, and regulatory changes have helped introduce more electric and plug-in hybrid models in Australia.
But the news comes after the federal government announced its 2035 emissions reduction target, which will require significantly faster adoption of electric transportation; estimates suggest that electric vehicles should account for half of all new cars sold.
The State of EVs 2025 report found Australian drivers purchased 72,758 electric cars in the first six months of the year, accounting for 12.1 per cent of all new vehicles sold; This is a significant jump from 2024, when electric cars will account for 9.1 percent of sales.
Tesla’s electric SUV Model Y was at the top of the list of the most popular low-emission vehicles during this period, followed by BYD’s plug-in hybrid electric vehicle Shark 6.
Nearly 100 electric models were launched in Australia throughout the year, as well as 59 plug-in hybrid variants. Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Julie Delvecchio said it was backed by the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard.
He said further legal and policy changes would be needed to enable more Australians to switch to electric vehicles and meet the country’s emissions target.
“We call on the government to set electric vehicle targets and a date for the ban on petrol and diesel registrations, like the UK and France,” Ms Delvecchio said.
“We are also calling for more incentives, including GST exemptions and energy bill credits, to get Australians behind the wheel of electric cars and trucks.”
In January, the UK government announced plans to phase out sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and require all new cars and vans to be zero-emission models by 2035.
But Australia does not have a similar target, and state and territory governments have removed financial support for EV purchases in the last two years.
The council’s report ranked the federal government’s efforts to support EV adoption highest, with a score of eight out of 10, while the governments of Queensland, Tasmania and the Northern Territory were ranked lowest, with just three out of 10.
No country has managed to achieve mass EV adoption without ongoing government support, and its withdrawal could halt progress, Ms. Delvecchio said.
“As a country, we are making progress in EV purchasing, but the road ahead is steep,” he said.
“We need to shift gears from steady growth to faster growth in EV uptake to achieve emissions reduction targets.”
The federal government announced a plan to reduce emissions by 62 to 70 percent by 2035; The Climate Change Authority said it would require half of light vehicles sold to be electric models.
