The EV Revolution by Postcode

Here at OnlyFacts, we’re obsessed with finding the most local and granular data possible, then making it accessible. You’re probably familiar with our work on solar uptake by postcode. Now, we’re looking at EVs. Which communities are leading the EV revolution? Let’s find out. 

Why It Matters

Transitioning to battery-powered vehicles is no vanity project. Transport is Australia’s 3rd largest emitting sector, accounting for 22% of the country’s emissions.

Road transport creates the lion's share of these emissions - 85%.

Data Notes

To understand this data, you need to know about three types of electric and fuel-efficient cars.

1. Battery Electric Vehicles (EV or BEV): Fully electric, with no gasoline engine. 
2. Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV): Powered by gasoline and battery. The battery is large and enables electric-only driving for short trips. It is recharged by plugging into an external power source.
3. Hybrid: Primarily powered by gasoline, but also has a battery. The battery is smaller and supports short bursts of electric power. It is recharged by the engine and cannot be plugged into an external power source. 

The International Energy Agency groups both BEVs and PHEVs under the one term of ‘electric vehicle’. We have done the same. Therefore, all data below refers to EVs/PHEVs together.

Targets and Progress

There are two important metrics about electric vehicles: sales and registrations. First, there are sales. According to the IEA, around 60% of new car sales need to be EV/PHEV by 2030. The latest data in Australia (via FCAI) showed 9.2% of Australia’s new car sales were EV/PHEV in October.

Second, there are registrations. According to The Economist, 17% of the world’s cars need to be EV/PHEV by 2030. The latest data in Australia (via BITRE) showed 0.8% of Australia’s registered vehicles were EV/PHEV, as of January 20234.

Which Communities Are Leading?

It’s clear there’s a lot of work to do. But which parts of Australia are leading the race? We’ve looked at EV/PHEV registrations as a percentage of total vehicles in every postcode in Australia. The table below shows the top 20 postcodes.

A few callouts: Three postcodes have hit the 17% target; Vehicles are often registered to companies, which means business precincts and airports dominate. Government precincts also feature; Queensland is the leading state, with four postcodes in the top 10; The #1 postcode is Haberfield, in Sydney’s inner west.