THE RAA says more than 40pc of motorists are considering buying an electric vehicle when purchasing their next car, claiming accessibility to charging equipment was one of the key factors discouraging people from moving to electric cars.
But Mount Gambier car dealer Carlin and Gazzard said the current models of electric cars would run out of electricity before travelling the vast distances required in regional South Australia.
Carlin and Gazzard sales consultant Mark Phillips said electric cars on the market, such as Tesla vehicles, were most suitable for city commuters.
Mr Phillips did not agree with the RAA’s figure, but said a “significant” number of people had inquired about electric vehicles.
“It is still sort of a niche demand,” he said.
“Currently, electric vehicles suit metropolitan customers who are doing more city driving and short trips.
“Most of the country buyers are buying petrol because of the range and the tire restrictions.
“Tesla vehicles have a range of 420km, so it is pretty difficult to travel long distances.
“The people who are interested in electric vehicles ask the question if we have anything that is hybrid.”
Mr Phillips said the car dealership stocked Subaru Hybrid vehicles, which did not require charging stations, drawing power from an internal combustion engine combined with an electric motor.
“The hybrid vehicles are part electric, but they are primarily still driven by the petrol engine,” he said.
“Subaru vehicles are self-charging hybrids which uses regenerative braking to recharge the battery while the vehicle is slowing.
“Manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz are starting to come through with electric vehicles, but we have no demonstrator to show.
“ Vehicles like Tesla and the Mitsubishi Outlander are plug-in hybrids and you get an adaptor so you can charge it.”
In a recently released survey, the RAA said almost half of South Australians were considering purchasing an electric car, citing a desire to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, vehicle performance and running costs as contributing factors.
Motorists’ electric vehicle enthusiasm is curbed by the purchase price and accessibility to charging outlets, the survey found.
RAA mobility technology specialist Mark Bolace said electric vehicles produce around half the pollution of petrol vehicles in South Australia, but said a lack of charging infrastructure was a purchasing barrier.
Mr Bolace said 59pc of respondents said government provision of public charging stations would encourage them to buy an electric car.
“This is why RAA is urging the SA government to invest in fast-charging stations in Adelaide and across the state to encourage the transition to electric vehicles,’’ he said.
In 2017, Tesla sought applications from businesses and councils to host destination charging services on their premises, allowing Tesla owners to charge electric vehicles over one or more hours.
While the wall connector charging units were provided to businesses for free, electrical connection and ongoing electrical costs must be paid for by the host.
Wattle Range Council knocked back a staff recommendation to install two charging sites at Millicent and Beachport, with then mayor Peter Gandolfi saying it was “not council’s role to start the servos of the future”.
Across the Limestone Coast, 10 businesses have installed the wall charging unit, including Commodore on the Park and The Henty.
Commodore on the Park general manager Tom Kosch – who also operates The Henty – said he was encouraged to install the wall chargers to accommodate travellers with electric vehicles.
“We were getting initial interest from guests about whether we had the facilities and we were motivated by what we thought it was what the modern day traveller would need,” he said.
“Before COVID-19, we probably have an average of three guests per week who were primarily from metropolitan areas.
“We saw an increase of travellers on the road requiring electronic charging stations before COVID and I believe into the future there will be more people who purchase electric cars.”
A Tesla Supercharger is available at Keith which allows four vehicles to charge simultaneously.
