Originally published: The Canberra Times, 16 April 2026
More Australians will switch to an electric car if petrol prices continue to rise, a study has found, with two in five naming electric and plug-in hybrid electric models as their preferred vehicle choices.
The trend has emerged as more motorists named fuel savings as their top reason to go electric rather than environmental benefits or energy conservation.
Research firm Pureprofile revealed the findings on Thursday in its third electric vehicle report, which also found men and millennials were most likely to make the swap.
The results come after sales of new electric vehicles soared in March, and as the Australian Automobile Association called for more charging stations funded by a road-user tax.
Pureprofile’s Electric Vehicles In Australia: Wave 3 report analysed the attitudes and purchasing intentions of more than 2000 participants in February, with a follow-up study in late March.
