One in four unlikely to buy an EV, as divide between pro- and anti-EV camps grow
WORDS BY THOMAS PERROTA, MANAGING EDITOR, SAVVY
The number of Australians who consider themselves unlikely to purchase an electric vehicle has grown from around one in six to over one in four over the last three years, a survey has found.
Savvy’ s EV Sentiments Survey also revealed that price remains the biggest barrier to entry for prospective buyers, though range anxiety is one concern that has fallen significantly.
Anti-EV crowd hardening despite increased uptake
According to the survey, 28.2 % of respondents stated they were unlikely to buy an EV and that their preference was for a standard fuel-based vehicle.
This figure represents a marked increase on the respondents falling into that category from the 2021 and 2023 editions of the survey, which sat at 12.6 % and 16.2 %, respectively.
That’ s despite EVs reaching record sales across the country, with more than one in five new cars sold across Q2 2026 being battery electric.
According to Savvy Managing Director Bill Tsouvalas, the sudden influx of affordable models could be causing Australians to think differently about electric cars in general. " There’ s no doubting that the increasingly competitive pricing of EVs has been a major boon for the segment, opening doors for those who want to reduce their carbon footprint but couldn’ t previously afford to make the switch,” he said.
“ However, the shift towards budget Chinese manufacturers is taking some of the gloss off their comparatively luxurious former reputation, which in turn has pushed those previously on the fence further away from EVs."
16 ISSUE 61 OCTOBER 2026 / WWW. AFMA. ORG. AU