Record Electric Car Sales Stump Doubters – Chargers can’t Cope


Last month, electric vehicles were a massive 6.8% of the market, and if you add hybrids as well, 13.9% were pure EV or hybrid electric.

Of Australian February vehicle sales total (86,878), the largest proportion are made in Japan (24,805), then Thailand (18,557), and rather surprisingly, China in 3rd place 12,246). Korea comes in 4th (12,246), but there is more to the story than mere figures.

As always, the place of manufacture doesn’t always tell us the brand. For example, a boatload of Teslas arrived from China, making Tesla Model 3 the 3rd highest selling vehicle for the month. Pure EV sales are at 10,784 for the year, compared to 1,220 this time last year. Hybrid sales are down from 13,107 last year, to 10,852 so far this year.

171,751 vehicles we sold last month, even so, 22,618 were either PHEV, HEV or Pure EV, adding to the growing fleet of low or zero emission vehicles on the road.

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ABOVE: Tesla Model 3, Genesis ELectric Vehicles, and Chargefox Zetland

The question we raise once again is: What will we do about charging?

In the last month we reviewed several EVs and with no home charging, were forced to use the local Chargefox outlets nearby. Once again, the ultra-fast 350kw units were out of action, and the 50kw outlet was faulty part of the time. All chargers except 1 are located within a shopping centre, making the slow destination (22kw or 11kw) chargers useless.

NRMA members get a 20% discount, so naturally they are the ones we go for first. The 165kw unit located at the rear of the VW Group HQ is managed by Chargefox, but not branded NRMA. It charges at 70c p/kWh, an outrageous sum. The NRMA/Chargefox units in East Village are 60c for the 350kw outlets, and 40c for the 50kw charger. There is no other fast charging nearby.

The figures speak for themselves. If 10,000 EVs and PHEVs are added to the fleet each month, it won’t be long before the system is beyond usefulness.

Clearly the private sector cannot keep up and if government does not step in, unhappy EV owners will be voting with their feet, and pencils.

Other GayCarBoys EV Stories:

Written by Alan Zurvas

Alan Zurvas is the founder and editor of Gay Car Boys, Australia's leading LGBTQI+ automotive publication. Before launching GCB in 2008, Alan's automotive writing was published in SameSame.com.au and the Star Observer. With over 16 years of hands-on car reviewing experience, Alan brings an honest, irreverent voice to every review — championing value and innovation over brand loyalty.


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