Governments need to do more to combat the stagnating sale of EVs including the cost of repairs, according to leading motoring bodies.
FCAI figures released this week show battery Ev figure reached their lowest rate in two years in January as the growth of 2023 stalled in late 2024.
Hybrids sales continue to grow, now outselling EVs four to one, while even plug-in hybrids with their extra range were close to 60 per cnet of the EV sales the FCAI has shown.
Low emission cars , particularly zero emission battery EV sales was meant to be one of the key benefits of the federal governments New Vehicle Emissions Standard introduced this year.
The Australian Automotive Dealers Association has flagged in its research that purchase price remains the biggest barrier to uptake at 55 per cent, but more than one third of respondents said repairs would cost too much.
The Motor Traders’ Association of NSW CEO Stavros Yallouridis says the government must take action if it hopes to meets its ambitious NVES targets for EV adoption.
“These latest figures show we’re moving in the wrong direction – EV sales have hit their lowest proportion in over two years,” Yallouridis says.
“If we want to turn this around, we need to address the whole ecosystem, including repair and maintenance costs. This means investing in training now to build a competitive repair market that gives consumers confidence in the long-term affordability of EV ownership.”
“The latest data showing consumer concerns about EV repair costs isn’t surprising – it’s exactly what we’ve been warning about since 2022. When nearly half of potential EV buyers are worried about repair costs, this needs to be addressed head-on.”
“What’s clear from this data is that the barrier to EV adoption isn’t just the purchase price anymore – it’s the whole ownership experience, including servicing and repairs. With limited qualified technicians, repair costs naturally stay high. It’s basic economics – we need more skilled technicians to create competition in the repair space, which would help drive these costs down.”
Training key for repairs
Like the VACC in Victoria, the parent body the MTAA and the key aftermarket association, the AAAA, the MTA NSW is advocating for government investment in the repair sector to overcome these barriers.
“We identified back in 2022 that NSW alone needs 49,000 workers trained in EV servicing and repair,” Yallouridis says.
“ Now, looking at these latest consumer sentiment figures, the urgency is even clearer. The industry is ready to step up, but we need government support to fast-track this training. Without it, high repair costs will continue to be a major barrier to EV adoption.”
“This means investing in training now to build a competitive repair market that gives consumers confidence in the long-term affordability of EV ownership.”
“We’re particularly concerned about regional areas, where buyers are especially cautious. These areas already face challenges with charging infrastructure – if we add limited repair options and high servicing costs to that mix, we’re making EV adoption even harder for regional Australians.”