It’s been a big year for electric vehicles in Australia, with more choices than ever flooding the Australian market – from utes to vans, SUVs and even sports cars.
Based on the site traffic, you – our readers – have enjoyed the many new models, technology developments and market recaps the Fleet EV News team has put together across the year.
To offer a recap though, and despite the fanfare of the countless new models that launched, there has been a subtle shift taking place…
Last year proved to be red-hot for EV sales, with strong growth across both sales and model availability, and according to VFACTS data Australians purchased more than 87,000 electric vehicles during the calendar year.
Entering 2024, manufacturers were eager to capitalise on the exponential growth experienced across the EV market as countless new models landed, but little did they know demand for EVs would slow.
Combining both VFACTS data and Electric Vehicle Council numbers, EV sales were actually up at the end of October, compared with the same period last year, with around 70,000 units shifted so far in 2024.
However, battery-electric growth has taken a backwards slide since the mid-year mark, with a dip of 27 percent year-on-year. The slow-down comes at a time when there are more electric models on offer than ever before, but is somewhat explained by the winding back of various government subsidies and incentives.
However, while EVs demand is cooling, it’s hybrids that are experiencing the greatest growth in Australia this year. At the end of September, hybrid sales had increased by 34.4 percent year-to-date compared with the 2023 numbers, and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) were up a staggering 89.9 percent – albeit off a low base.
PHEVs are particularly sought after as we approach 2025, and the reality for fleet operators is that they are often cheaper than EVs, offer less of a range compromise, and are still exempt from FBT for novated lease buyers. Not to mention, most offer an electric-only driving range nearing triple digits.
As hybrid ute models like the BYD Shark 6 and Ford Ranger PHEV enter the market next year, continued growth is likely and we are excited to test the many electrified options on the horizon. Of course, there are many new EVs on the way too, which we will outline and drive as they land.
So without further ado, here are the 10 most popular articles from across the year (so far), as decided by you – our valued readers.
10. BYD launches fleet pricing program
A year after telling Fleet EV News it was ready to target fleets, the distributor of BYD vehicles in Australia, EVDirect, released fleet pricing on its entire range for organisations that register for the BYD fleet program.
The new fleet discounts will also apply to the BYD Shark PHEV utility due in Australia from December, which has been priced from a highly-competitive $57,900 plus on-road costs. In fact, demand for the Shark is so strong that BYD reportedly took 2,000 orders on the day it launched.
Read the full story here.
9. Finally, a fuel card for EV and PHEV drivers
FleetCard, an Australian fleet management company with over 40 years of experience, partnered with Chargefox earlier this year to offer the largest number of electric vehicle charging stations to business fleets through the launch of their new FleetCard +Electric product.
FleetCard’s collaboration with Chargefox adds an extensive national network of readily available and easily locatable charging stations to FleetCard’s fuelling capabilities.
Employees driving an electric vehicle can simply tap the FleetCard +Electric to bill the recharge to the company account, just as they would with a regular fuel card – all on one invoice.
Read the full story here.
8. Battle of the brands for novated lease buyers
If you’re looking for evidence that electric vehicles are changing the market for new car buyers, take some time to understand the savings and benefits of novated leasing, or salary packaging, a motor vehicle.
What’ll you find is a range of Asian, European and American car manufacturers pitching an EV just under the magic number which is $89,332 (FY23-24) – the Luxury Car Tax Limit (LCT) for fuel efficient vehicles. And thanks to the FBT Exemption on EVs, the out of pocket expense for a novated lease on cars priced at this level will be similar to a $45,000 petrol/diesel model.
With such a smorgasbord of options for novated lease buyers, will they consider a European brand for the first time? Or, will they stick to the traditional brand preferences of Australian buyers?
Read the full story here.
7. Will enough PHEVs arrive before March 2025?
With the increase in demand in PHEVs, many fleet and novated buyers may miss the 31st March 2025 delivery deadline to qualify for the FBT Exemption if supply isn’t increased.
Speaking to Fleet News Group at the launch of the new-gen Triton earlier this year, Oliver Mann, General Manager Product and Marketing at Mitsubishi Motors Australia, explained that the true market demand for PHEV hasn’t been fully realised.
“I think we look at PHEV from more of a helicopter view, we think that the drive train itself is the right solution as we transition into electrification so we don’t see demand for PHEV falling away due to that exemption,” explained Mann.
“In our experience, there’s only growing interest in plug-in hybrid, and that’s both the case for Outlander PHEV and Eclipse cross PHEV, which has also done really well in the last six months or so.”
Read the full story here.
6. Posties trade bikes for electric scooters
The Benzina Zero Duo is now becoming Australia’s best electric delivery scooter and many other companies including Domino’s know the fleet benefits in moving to electric, but the latest use for this super tough workhorse got us excited.
Australia Post Contractor, David Freeman, runs the Licensed Post Office (LPO) in Longreach in Central Queensland and delivers the mail within the town itself, and the surrounding regions. After years of using brands like Kymco and other brands, David is now Australia’s first Australia Post Contractor to make the shift to electrify his two-wheel fleet.
When David first saw the unique twin tubular frame design of the Duo he was hooked. “It was the practicality of the Duo design that grabbed my attention first,” he said.
“There is no other scooter in the market that has this level of carrying capacity, far more than any of our previous two-wheelers, and as we are carrying more parcels today this will streamline our delivery capacity. The Duo is super rugged with no plastic body panels to damage and when we get to the end of life there is less to recycle.”
Read the full story here.
5. You can tow with the latest Kona EV
Is towing an Australian thing? It must be based on the announcement from Hyundai that the latest model KONA Electric (extended range only) is capable of towing to make it appeal to Australian customers.
Using the optional Hyundai Genuine Accessory towbar, the Kona EV extended range is rated at a maximum braked towing capacity of 750kg with a maximum tow ball weight of 100kg. If towing an unbraked trailer, towing capacity is limited to 300kg.
We may be stereotyping here, but people with hobbies that require a trailer wouldn’t be the obvious target market for electric cars. So, it’s a great signal to the market that an EV can tow something and will remove one more excuse for fleet drivers resisting the EV transition.
Read the full story here.
4. Evie Networks restructures for growth
LinkedIn posts fanned rumours of another high profile EV industry casualty in early August when Evie Networks laid off a number of staff members. Reports suggested up to 30% of staff were made redundant.
Evie Networks CEO, Chris Mills, told Fleet EV News that the changes were required to allow the continued growth of the public EV charging network provider.
“Evie Networks has recently undertaken a restructure to streamline operations and further position the company for continued growth. As a result, a number of roles across the business have been affected,” Mills said..
“The Evie Networks team is the backbone of the company, and we recognise the personal impact of this decision. We are committed to supporting those affected through this time. Despite these changes we remain dedicated to providing a top-tier charging experience to all EV drivers.”
Read the full story here.
3. Fleets collateral damage in EV price war
Price cuts are great for new car buyers, but the same can’t be said for those selling the same models on the used market, which is why the spate of recent EV price cuts might be hurting fleet operators.
Fluctuations in new car pricing became commonplace during the turbulent COVID-19 period, largely due to material shortages, supply chain disruptions and labour shortages, but despite supply now stable the up-and-down pricing appears to be here to stay – especially for electric vehicles.
The battle of the budget EVs in particular rages on and it’s hitting circa-$60k and sub-$40k categories the hardest, which is right in the meat of what fleets are spending on zero-emission vehicles.
Fleet operators will invariably be the first to bear the brunt of price changes, too, with average fleets holding vehicles for between three and five years, using a depreciation curve that starts with the new vehicle value.
To put that into perspective, fleet vehicles travelling 20,000km per year are traditionally worth around 30 per cent of the new vehicle value after three years. With price reductions as high as 40 per cent, in the case of the Peugeot E-2008, fleet operators could face depreciation of up to 70 per cent after just three years.
Director of Fleet at Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA), Marc Sibbald, says the price slashing is likely to continue and urges fleets to closely monitor changes.
“Several factors influence the future value of all used fleet vehicles and Fleet Managers need to monitor the market and adjust their Whole of Life Cost assumptions regularly,” Mr Sibbald said.
“If they follow best practice fleet management by regularly reviewing Whole of Life Cost, they will be able to pick the optimum replacement time depending on market movements to reduce the impact of new car price changes.”
Read the full story here.
2. Convert your classic car to an EV
Restoring amazing classic cars has long been a dream of many car enthusiasts, but in recent years, with the advancement of electric vehicles, more have been looking to EV conversions as a serious alternative to simply refurbishing the old motor.
Some die hard petrol heads may think this is sacrilege, however, adding modern improvements to classic cars has often been part of the restoration scene, from brakes to interior and improved performance.
In recent years, the EV conversion trend has been growing quickly in the US and Europe, with amazing restorations getting a whole new life with an electric drivetrain offering a step up in performance whilst also being reliable, smooth, quiet and clean.
Australian EVS was watching these trends with excitement and formed back in 2021 to bring the best EV conversion kits to Australia, and to advice commercial fleets on how they can transition to zero emissions.
Read the full story here.
1. New fire blanket to help manage EV fire risk
At the recent AFAC Conference and Exhibition, Fleet EV News had the opportunity to speak with Russ Victorsen, Managing Director at Big Red Truck Fire Rescue, about an innovative product now available in Australia—the Brimstone EV Fire Blanket.
This cutting-edge technology is designed to help fire services and organisations manage the increasing risks associated with electric vehicle (EV) fires.
The Brimstone EV Fire Blanket is unique because it offers a complete package for managing EV fires, unlike traditional fire suppression methods that may struggle with the particular challenges posed by EVs.
One of the key aspects of this system is its ability to contain and control the fire, preventing the dangerous phenomenon known as ‘thermal runaway’.
Read the full story here.
