Despite growing criticism of Australia’s lagging and, at times, utterly backwards electric vehicle (EV) policies, and the lack of infrastructure, electric car-sharing company Evee has nevertheless seen increased demand in 2021.
Much has already been said about the failures across both sides of the Australian political aisle in supporting the inevitable transition to electric vehicles.
Victoria, in particular, has earned the ire of many Australians for its plan to tax electric car drivers instead of paving the way for their growth, although it has sought to offset that by offering a $3,000 rebate for up to 20,000 new EVs.
NSW minister for transport Andrew Constance has this week also indicated his state will support the acceleration of clean transport, possibly by waiving stamp duty and other on road costs.
Interest in EVs, however, is clearly soaring, as witnessed by The Driven’s rapidly growing readership (2.7 million page views in the last two months), and Evee,has seen rising demand for its platform, and spread its offering to major cities across the country – including Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns, and Alice Springs.
This significant expansion, originally hinted at in 2019 but which was unsurprisingly hindered by the global COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, sought to not only expand its presence but also broaden the availability of electric vehicles on offer.
“The demand for electric cars is unprecedented and despite the lack of government policy, Australians are ready to drive, experience, and buy EVs – we’re hearing this directly from our customers,” said Slava Kozlovskii, founder of Evee.
“After an unpredictable start to 2020, we’re proud to make a strong comeback in 2021 with Evee’s growth now exceeding our pre-Covid levels. We have worked hard to expand our offering to connect EV owners with eco-conscious drivers nationwide, making EV driving options readily available and accessible to everyone.”
In 2020 Evee saw the fleet of available electric vehicles expand from 19 to over 60 cars available to hire, with new additions including the Audi e-tron, Hyundai Ioniq, and BMW i3 available in some parts of Australia, while customers in Perth can now drive the new Mini Electric.
Currently, as of writing, the Evee website is offering me a 2019 Tesla Model 3 for $169 per day, or $215 per day for a 2021 Tesla Model 3, and $284 per day for a Tesla Model 3 Long Range.
Evee boasts average car rental travelling of 160-kilometres per day which, according to Evee, saves 12.8kg of CO2 based on 80g C02 saved per kilometre compared to a petrol-powered vehicle. Cars can be picked up from the private owner’s home, or for an added fee can be organised for airport pickup.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.