Tuesday 9 August 2022 01:07 AM Stark poll reveals the major problem facing electric cars: Low-income Aussies ... trends now

Fewer than one in five low-income Australians believe their next car is likely to be electric while almost half of those on six-figure salaries say they will purchase one, according to a new poll.

The survey of 1,000 Australians commissioned by the Institute of Public Affairs shows that cost is one of the main barriers to the widespread take-up of electric vehicles.

The cheapest electric cars in Australia start at around $44,000 while the most affordable new petrol cars start are less than half that figure - at about $18,000. 

Meanwhile, fossil-fuel powered cars are available on the used car market for just a few hundred dollars while used electric cars still cost upwards of $10,000.

The gap is expected to narrow as electric cars get older, more models enter the Australian market and manufacturers phase out combustion engines. 

But for now only 29 per cent of Aussies say their next car is likely to be electric, according to the poll by research firm Dynata conducted between 29-30 June 2022.

Only 22 per cent of Australians earning less than $45,000 answered yes while 48 per cent of those earning $100,000 or more gave a positive response. 

Daniel Wild, Deputy Executive Director of the Institute of Public Affairs, said the poll showed electric vehicles were still too dear for most Aussies.

He attacked a push by the Electric Vehicle Council for every state and territory to ban new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2035 after the ACT made the move last month.

'With Australian families already facing unprecedented cost of living pressures, forcing them to buy electric vehicles which don't suit their needs and are unaffordable will only make this worse,' he said.

'Banning the sale of new petrol cars is just another savage attack on the Australian way of life by inner-city elites under the guise of net zero emissions by 2050.

'These policy proposals are nothing more than a massive tax on Australia's tradies and undermines the liveability of our suburban and regional communities.'

However, supporters say targets will bring down prices by increasing competition among manufacturers selling electric cars.

Commenting on the poll results, Mr Wild added: 'Less than a third of Australians have indicated they are likely to buy an electric vehicle as their next car, and usually it is only those with high incomes who have shown a willingness to purchase them.

'The EV lobby are seeking millions of dollars in subsidies from all levels of government for things such as charging stations and associated infrastructure, which is akin to taking from the poor and giving to the rich.'

In a report ahead of an electric vehicle summit with Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen on August 19, the Electric Vehicle Council has proposed a four-stage phase-out of petrol cars.

It wants states and territories to adopt targets mandating the percentage of new car sales that must be electric. 

The Council's suggested targets are 10 per cent by 2025, 30 per cent by 2027, 55 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035. 

The new Labor government has not introduced mandated targets at a federal level but the Council believes each state and territory should adopt them.

'This type of scheme could also be introduced nationally as an alternative to fuel-efficiency targets if it proved to be a more feasible option,' its report says.