Australian car buyers seeking low-emission vehicles are increasingly favouring hybrids over fully electric vehicles (EVs), according to the latest sales figures. This trend has raised concerns among experts about the potential delay in reducing national transport emissions.
Hybrid vehicles, which combine batteries and electric motors with internal combustion engines, accounted for 14.4% of new car sales last month, up from 7.8% in June last year, as reported by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).
In contrast, EV sales declined for the second time since 2020 with new EV sales dropping to 8.3% from 8.8% a year ago.
Rising popularity of hybrids
Swinburne University transport expert Hussein Dia expressed concern over the rising popularity of hybrids, stating that it may hinder the mass adoption of EVs, which are crucial for significant emissions reductions.
"People think they're doing the right thing for the environment and they're not," Dia said.
Despite being more fuel-efficient than traditional petrol vehicles, hybrids are still more polluting than full-battery EVs. Some automakers, such as Ford and Volkswagen (ETR:VOWG_p), are responding to consumer trends by scaling back or delaying their EV plans in favour of hybrid production.
EV Council CEO Samantha Johnson acknowledged the increase in hybrid sales but emphasised the importance of transitioning directly to EVs.
"There's a lot of scaremongering around EVs. The most important thing is petrol car sales are going down. We want a replacement of petrol vehicles into hybrid and battery EV," she said.
Robin Smit, director at Transport Energy/Emission Research, noted that while hybrids could reduce CO2 emissions by about 30% in urban driving, battery EVs were significantly more energy-efficient.
Smit highlighted the limitations of hybrid technology in achieving the deep emissions reductions necessary for decarbonising the transport sector.
As EV charging infrastructure improves and prices become more competitive, experts hope the appeal of hybrids will diminish, paving the way for a more sustainable future in transportation.