Electric dreams drive return of motor shows to Melbourne after more than a decade

Twelve years after the last Australian International Motor Show was held in Melbourne, event organisers are trying to revive the trend, driven by low-emission vehicles.

Twenty automotive brands, from Audi to McLaren, will show off new and unreleased electric and hybrid vehicles at the Melbourne EV Show over three days starting on Friday, alongside every Tesla released to date.

The show is expected to become an annual event, with bookings locked in for the next eight years.

The electric vehicle showcase will be the second held in Australia and follows record-breaking sales for battery-powered vehicles in the country.

ABF Group chief executive Ray Evans said the Melbourne EV Show had been designed to capture the feeling of previous motor shows while demonstrating the evolution of car technology and the reasons behind it.

The event had been in the works for three years and is well timed to show off new electric vehicles coming to the country.

“Australia is catching up now – the supply and demand factors are moving through, there’s more variety than there’s ever been – and we’ve been fortunate to have some really good (manufacturers) come on board,” Mr Evans said.

“It’s the first event that’s able to bring together the major brands in electric cars – we have about 20 brands participating and out of that 20, we have 10 who are showing off new product or product that hasn’t been displayed.”

New vehicles on show will include Polestar’s first SUV, the unreleased Polestar 3, as well as the Audi Q8 55 e-tron electric car due in Australia next year, and the Kia EV9 SUV due next month.

Other automakers showing off vehicles at the event include Cupra, Hyundai, GWM, Lexus, Fiat and Peugeot, which managing director Kate Gillis said would display an electric SUV and van, as well as two plug-in hybrid vehicles.

“We’re excited to share Peugeot’s vision of electrification with Australian consumers,” she said.

Two-wheeled electric vehicles will also be at the event, including e-bikes and e-scooters that will be available for test rides.

Organisers have booked event space for the next eight years, with plans for the show to become an annual event.

“Already we’ve had discussions with Porsche, Aston Martin, Maserati … it’s going to build,” he said.

Electric and hybrid vehicle sales have soared in Australia over the past year, with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries reporting more than 120,000 vehicle sales between January and August.

The Electric Vehicle Council estimates 130,000 battery-electric cars were on roads in Australia by July, with 180,000 expected by the end of the year.

AAP