Motoring Cairns buyers snapping up electric vehicles at fast rate

l ELECTRIC VEHICLES

| Nick Dalton CAIRNS residents are buying electric vehicles (EVs) faster than any other regional area in Queensland, with registrations surging more than 500 per cent in the past two years.

New figures released in the Australian Automobile Association’s (AAA) EV Index reveal EV registrations in Cairns grew from 45 in January 2021 to 282 in January 2023, or up by 626 per cent while in Townsville registrations grew from 44 to 266 over the same period (505 per cent).

RACQ’s head of public policy Dr Michael Kane said there were a number of factors driving the uptake.

“Over the past 12 months there’s been an influx of new electric vehicle models on the Australian market, driving down prices through competition,” he said.

“More recently we’ve seen State Government rebates increased for new EV purchases and in January 2023 the Federal Government brought in Fringe Benefit Tax exemptions on novated leasing for EVs.

“These things will continue to make EVs more affordable for motorists who want to drive cleaner and safer cars.”

Toowoomba came in third place with an additional 193 EVs over the same two-year period, followed by the Scenic Rim (80), Fraser Coast (79), Bundaberg (57), Mackay (55) and Rockhampton (54).

Dr Kane said while these num- bers were a good start, range anxiety is still a huge issue holding regional Queenslanders back from making the leap to electric.

“Ensuring no Queenslander is left behind in the transition to more sustainable transport is crucial and that means investing in charging infrastructure,” he said.

“As well as building a new charging station at Carseldine in Brisbane, RACQ is co-funding seven new fast charging sites in Cairns, Mackay, Gladstone, Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Toowoomba and Mitchell with the

Queensland Government.

“The Queensland Government co-funding program is set to see 46 charging sites across more than 30 mostly regional locations up and running by the end of 2024.”

RACQ already sponsors around 50 government-owned charging stations across Queensland and will continue to work closely with the State Government to ensure all motorists have access to safe, secure and sustainable transport.

According to the Cairns Re- gional Councils’s 2023 State of the Environment Report there were 178 electric vehicles (EVs) registered in the region in 2021/22.

“EVs have been doubling in popularity every year since 2018/19,” the report said.

“Though ownership is very low compared to traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, the number of electric vehicles in the region has more than doubled, year on year since 2018/19 to its current high of 178,” it said.