Assessment of electric vehicle adoption policies and practices in Australia: Stakeholder perspectives

Transitioning from internal combustion power to passenger electric vehicles presents a highly complex problem for governments. During the past decade, there has been a slow uptake of passenger electric vehicle sales in Australia, a mere 3.6% per annum. This study explores the electric vehicle adoption policies and practices in Australia through an analysis of various stakeholder perspectives. A mixed methods approach comprising program analytics and vector-algebraic study of vehicular stakeholders was used to interrogate a range of electric vehicle stakeholders’ data sets with 1, 317 stakeholder statements being analysed. The results of this study reinforce the critical importance of direct financial incentives and economic support measures valued up to A$21,000 per vehicle. In addition, the analysis exposed strong electric vehicle consumer sentiment to install up to 5800 new fast charging stations (151 km of road route per unit) by 2040 at a cost of A$1.2 Billion, while ensuring provision of vehicle model performance data and charging network information programs. Importantly, governments must show leadership with cooperative revisions to national vehicular standards, public fleet electrifications, and setting national passenger electric vehicle purchase targets. The study posits important actions that suborn passenger electric vehicle transition as a foundation for future forms of electric mobility.