FLEETDRIVE
How are EVs sales tracking in Australia?
Data from a recent VFACTS report suggested that
1336 electric passenger cars and SUVs – 245 cars
to private buyers, 401 to companies, 195 SUVs
to private buyers and 495 non-private – were sold
in 2018 across Australia. It’s important to note
that Tesla Motors currently does not publicly reveal
its overall sales numbers, but a leak from 2017
indicated the total for that year was 1410 – so a
figure within that region again seems likely. $100 on car registration in Victoria and a reduction
in stamp duty in the ACT – though more action and
lobbying of federal government for more meaningful
incentives will be required in coming years.
Though by combining the sales of Tesla and others
to an estimated EV sales of 3000 sales for last year,
it still represents a mere 0.26 percentage of the total
Australia car sales market (which last year stood
at 1,153,111 units). More importantly though it’s
important to note that 2018 EV sales represented
the industry’s best ever result, with 228 more units
sold compared with the previous year. Given overall
vehicle sales went backwards by 3 per cent in
2018, you could argue it’s a great result for the EV
market given the current government incentives are
minimal and infrastructure and availability of vehicles
remain a continued problem. What vehicles are currently available in
Australia?
A lack of direct government incentives has led to a
reluctance by manufacturers to bring their vehicles
down under. As such there are a limited number
of pure EV models available in Australia, however
the list is growing and 2019 represents significant
opportunity with the arrival of several new models
from new and existing EV manufacturers.
What EV incentives are available?
The limited incentives that do exist are a small
bonus incentive in the luxury car tax, a reduction of
In 2017, Australia also announced a partnership
with Macquarie Leasing. Its goal was to reduce the
cost of financing for electric vehicle purchases. The
program gives EV buyers a 0.7 per cent discount
on financing, and a further 0.5 per cent discount for
conventional but eco-friendly cars purchased.
The list below represents the current options
available within Australia and has been sorted from
a pricing perspective to provide an easy scope for
comparison. Please note that all information here is
correct at the time of publishing and metrics such
as range and pricing may change slightly closer to
release dates.
Manufacturer Model (base) Estimated real
world range (km) Availability Estimated Price
Renault Zoe 300km Now $44,500
Renault Kangoo ZE Van 200km Now $45,000
Hyundai Ioniq 200km Now $45,000
Tesla Model 3 352km Late 2019 $55,000
Nissan Leaf 240km March 2019 $55,000
Hyundai Kona 416km March 2019 $55,000
KIA e-Niro 385km Late 2019 $65,000
BMW i3 200km Now $68,700
Mercedes-Benz EQC 450km Late 2019 $100,000
Tesla Model S 414km Now $115,000
Jaguar I-Pace 479km Nov 2019 $119,000
Tesla Model X 380km Now $132,000
Audi e-tron 400km Mid 2019 $140,000
(excludes on road costs)
Note: The follow table is to be used as a guide only and is subject to change. Variance in estimated prices and real
world ranges are open to interpretation and have been garnered from a variety of global sources. Fleet buyers are
always encouraged to do further research before considering any new vehicle purchase.
ISSUE 15 2018 / WWW.AFMA.NET.AU
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