Benefits of electric vehicles

There are many benefits of electric vehicles (EVs) over conventional petrol or diesel cars.

Cheaper to run

The cost of the electricity required to charge an EV is around 40% less than the cost to use petrol for a similar sized vehicle driving the same distance1. The cost will be lower if you charge your EV from your solar PV system or at free charging stations.

Check out the cost of ownership calculator on the Electric Vehicle Council website.

Cheaper to maintain

A Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) has fewer moving parts than a conventional petrol/diesel car. Servicing is relatively easy, less frequent and overall cheaper than a petrol/diesel vehicle.

All EV batteries degrade (become less efficient). Most car manufacturers warrant EV batteries to not degrade below a certain level for around eight years. It may become necessary to replace a battery in an EV in the time you own it.

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) also have a petrol or diesel engine that needs servicing, so a PHEV will cost more to maintain than a BEV.

Cheaper to register

The Queensland Government provides a discount on stamp duty for the purchase of an EV, plus ongoing discounts on registration.2

Better for the environment

Less pollution: By choosing to drive an EV you are helping to reduce harmful air pollution from exhaust emissions. An EV has zero exhaust emissions, but still creates a degree of greenhouse gas emissions when it is charged from the electricity grid.

Renewable energy: If you have a solar PV system and charge your EV during the day, you can reduce your greenhouse gas emissions even further. Another way is to purchase GreenPower from your electricity retailer. Then, even if you recharge your EV from the electricity grid, your electricity is coming from renewable energy sources.

Read more about charging options on our Charging your electric vehicle webpage.

Better for our health

Reduced harmful exhaust emissions is good news for our health. Better air quality will lead to less health problems and costs caused by air pollution3. EVs are also quieter than petrol/diesel cars, which means less noise pollution.

Better for the network

If EV charging is managed effectively, mainly outside peak electricity demand periods, it will help us to create a flatter electricity network demand profile over a typical 24-hour period. This will help us to:

• better utilise the electricity network
• help EV owners avoid higher-cost charging periods
• help the entire electricity system work more efficiently
• help support the integration of more small and large-scale renewable energy systems into the electricity grid.

Better for our energy security

On a national level, EVs can help with Australia’s liquid-fuel energy security. At present, Australia is highly dependent on other countries for petroleum imports.

EVs are easy to power from local and renewable energy sources, reducing our dependence on foreign oil. EV’s will be unaffected if fuel supplies to Australia are ever disrupted or fuel costs increase significantly.