Jolt, one of Australia’s largest public electric vehicle (EV) charging networks says customer registrations surged to a record high in the month of March, at the same time as national EV sales also jumped to claim a record share of the market.
New Jolt customer registrations for March increased by 54.4 per cent month-on-month, the company says, with customers indicating that economics are driving the shift to EVs, with seven out of ten EV drivers citing lower running costs as their top reason for going electric.
“More Australians than ever are going electric, and the shift is gaining momentum,” said Doug McNamee, Jolt CEO.
“The cost savings on EV ownership are real and they’re exceeding expectations. As public charging infrastructure becomes more accessible, the practical case for going electric gets stronger every month.”
According to Jolt’s customer survey data, while nearly half of survey respondents also own a petrol vehicle alongside their EV, 59 per cent of these customers say that they are planning to replace it with another EV within three years.
But a lack of access to charging stations remains a key barrier to transitioning to an EV for many, a barrier that Jolt is working hard to mitigate and overcome.
Currently, Jolt’s charging network spans Australia’s four major cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide – and its stations are located in retail, dining, and lifestyle precincts. And chief operating officer Vicki Slavina says the company is looking to expand its network, which is supported by large advertising displays.
“The EV market in Australia is maturing faster than most people anticipated, and the pipeline of new models and new buyers suggests we’re still in the early chapters of that story,” she said.
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.