Only one in 100 second-hand vehicles for sale is electric and it could take three years for the situation to significantly improve, experts warn. Greater government subsidies targeting fleets and second-hand vehicles may boost supply, they say, which could otherwise slow the wider uptake of zero-emission vehicles and cuts to transport pollution.

“That’s the reality of the market for us is because the supply is so short.”

Subsidies and rebates needed “Somewhere between the three to five years from now we’re going to have a significant presence of used electric cars versus what we have today,” she said.

Australian Electric Vehicle Association national president Dr Chris Jones said the prices of second-hand electric vehicles remained stubbornly high due to short supply. Electric vehicle sales broke records by making up 8.8 per cent of new car sales in June, according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

  • RealVenom
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    11 months ago

    Can someone explain to me why it’s near impossible to test drive these cars? Are people actually just buying these things sight unseen?

    Car manufacturers seem to have succeeded in changing the sales pipeline where the consumer massively loses out.

    • zurohki
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      11 months ago

      Because they’re selling them as quickly as they can get them right now. If you already have a waiting list, why bother giving a bunch of people test drives?

      Supply is improving, though. It’ll change.

      • supercheesecake
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        11 months ago

        Yeah my wife and I are interested but the prices are insane and inflated compared with most other (similar) countries. Government really needs to step up its game and support them.