Northern cities lead the charge in regional EV uptake
Cairns and Townsville residents are embracing Electric Vehicles (EVs) faster than any other regional area in Queensland, with registrations surging more than 500% 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, while in Townsville registrations grew from 44 to 266 over the same period.
RACQ’s Head of Public Policy Dr Michael Kane said there are a number of factors driving this 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,” Dr Kane 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 numbers are 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.
Top 10 regional Local Government Areas for EV uptake*:
| Rank | Local Government Area | EV Registrations as at 31 January 2021 | EV Registrations as at 31 January 2023 | Change in registrations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cairns | 45 | 282 | 237 |
| 2 | Townsville | 44 | 266 | 222 |
| 3 | Toowoomba | 47 | 240 | 193 |
| 4 | Scenic Rim | 26 | 106 | 80 |
| 5 | Fraser Coast | 19 | 98 | 79 |
| 6 | Bundaberg | 17 | 74 | 57 |
| 7 | Mackay | 10 | 65 | 55 |
| 8 | Rockhampton | 14 | 68 | 54 |
| 9 | Gympie | 12 | 51 | 39 |
| 10 | Somerset | 2 | 32 | 30 |
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