Should I get an EV?
With petrol prices hitting record highs and cost of living squeezing families across Australia, there's a solution that could save you thousands of dollars a year. It's thanks to the energy we make on over four million Australian rooftops from solar - and it can power your home and your car.
Interest in electric vehicles is soaring. The questions are everywhere. Here's our independent guide to making the switch in 2026.
The money questions
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Petrol costs around 24–29c per kilometre. A solar-powered EV? About 1–2c per km.
No oil changes, no radiators, no fan belts. It’s not just fuels - expect to save a lot on servicing costs over the life of the car.
Total savings: The average Aussie family will save around $43,900 over 15 years with solar - or $23,300 without solar. That's before counting the upfront purchase price difference, which is shrinking fast. -
Some new EVs are now available under $30,000, including the BYD Dolphin Essential and ATTO 1. The price gap between electric and petrol is closing rapidly, and when you factor in fuel and servicing savings, many EVs are already cheaper to own over their lifetime.
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A few pathways are opening up:
Second-hand EVs are growing in availability as more new EVs hit the road and come off leases.
Novated leasing through salary packaging lets you access the fringe benefits tax (FBT) exemption, which can cut the effective cost of an EV significantly - both new and second hand EVs if registered from July 2022. That's why we're urging the government to keep this policy - it's the single biggest driver of affordable second-hand EVs entering the market.
Of course, electric cars aren’t the only way to save on transport thanks to electricity. More families are doing the school run on electric cargo bikes, more riders are enjoying the smooth corners on electric motorbikes, and our trains, trams and even lots of buses are using Australian-made electricity too! It will take a while to switch over our car fleet, and in the meantime there’s lots of ways to cut bills and emissions.
Charging basics
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There are three main ways to charge:
At home: Plug into a standard wall socket and add ~15km of range per hour - more than enough for most people's daily driving. A dedicated 7kW home charger ($1,500–$2,500 installed) adds about 40km per hour.
At work or shops: Many workplaces and shopping centres now offer chargers, often free or low-cost - and can add about 40km of range per hour of charging.
On the road: Public fast chargers (up to 350kW) can add 200km of range in less than half an hour - and the latest cars can do it in just 10 minutes. These fast highway charges are more expensive than home charging (~60–80c/kWh), but still well under the cost of a tank of $2.50/L unleaded.
The ‘average’ Australian drives 200km a week - that’s usually a mix of lots of short trips or commutes to work, and the occasional road trip. For the vast majority of drivers, plugging in at home to ‘top up’ ends up being 95% of the charging load.
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Priority will be given to homes that are replacing their eligible gas appliances. However, there are also opportunities for homes that are already all-electric to participate with the installation of a smart energy device.
All participants will be required to:
Commit to replacing eligible gas appliances with efficient, electric appliances.
Work with their chosen tradesperson to enable the installation of items within the Pilot timeframes.
Consent to the Pilot research requirements, including sharing your energy and bill data with the project partners and participating in research surveys and activities. Strict privacy and data protection policies are in place to protect your personal data.
Unfortunately, the following properties are not eligible:
Cabins, caravans, or houseboats
Business properties or community properties e.g. surf clubs, churches, sporting facilities
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Charge between 10am and 2pm to soak up your own rooftop solar and drive for virtually nothing. If you're parked at work during the day, then you should ask your boss to get with the times and make sure there’s a powerpoint in the carpark - but an overnight charge on off-peak rates at home is still far cheaper than petrol too.
Smart chargers can be set to automatically charge at the cheapest times - or when your solar is generating. -
Almost certainly. A standard 7kW smart charger works with most Australian switchboards. Your electrician can confirm, but upgrades are rarely needed.
Range and performance
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Modern 2026 EVs comfortably exceed 400km on a charge. That's Sydney to Canberra with power to spare. But the new Tesla Model 3 RWD can do 750km - a sign of what is to come.
One interesting thing about EVs is they use less energy in city traffic than doing high speeds on the freeway - the opposite of what we’re used to in petrol cars. When you’re stopping and starting all the time, EVs automatically recharge the battery using your braking energy. (This also means you don’t really wear out your brake pads either!) But on the highway at 110km/h, wind resistance means range drops by 15–25% compared to city driving.
You’re still saving big dollars even on those trips, but good to know. -
Yes. The "National Charging Network" now reaches most major regional hubs, and it's expanding fast. EV charging is pretty good in 2026 - and it will only get better from here. Plan a 25-30 minute charge into your normal rest stops on long trips and you're set for another 2 hours on the freeway.
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The electric ute market is arriving. The KGM Musso EV (around $60k) offers 380–420km range and 1,800kg towing. Models from Geely, LDV, Isuzu, and Kia are on the way. Plug-in hybrid utes like the BYD Shark 6 bridge the gap if you need diesel-matching tow capacity right now.
This segment is moving fast - check back regularly or sign up to the Rewiring Australia newsletter for updates.
Battery life and safety
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Real-world data shows modern EV batteries degrade only about 1-2% per year. After 10 years, most EVs still retain 80–90% of their original range. Many manufacturers warrant batteries for 8 years or 160,000km.
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Despite the rumours, EV fires are extremely rare. International data shows you're 20–60 times more likely to have a fire in a petrol or diesel car than in an EV. Australian Design Rules (ADR) are among the toughest safety standards in the world and we are also global leaders in EV fire research and training for first responders.
Getting the right car for your needs
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If you can, go straight to a full EV. Hybrids still burn fuel, still produce emissions, and come with more moving parts and higher maintenance costs. They perhaps made sense as a stepping stone five years ago - but in 2026, EVs are the clear choice, with better range, more choices, more charging infrastructure, and lower prices.
However, for some people, a PHEV (Plug in Hybrid EV) is a good starting point to make the transition if you are concerned about range or towing capacity for long haul trips.
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This is one of the most exciting developments in electrification. Vehicle-to-home (V2H) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology lets your EV battery work as a home battery when it's parked - backing up your house during outages or feeding energy back to the grid when it's most valuable.
It's early days, but V2G-capable chargers are already available in Australia, and the regulatory framework is catching up. The biggest hurdle right now is car manufacturers - because currently won’t honour your car warranty if you enable V2H or V2G.Hopefully soon we’ll be in scenario where your EV isn't just a car - it's potentially a 60–80kWh home battery sitting in your driveway.
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Australia imports over 90% of its liquid fuels. That means every time there's a conflict, a supply disruption, or an OPEC decision, your hip pocket takes the hit.
Electricity - including the rooftop solar you or your neighbours make - is generated here, used here, controlled by you. Electrifying your car and home is the single best way to insulate your family from global fuel price shocks. -
Australians live varied lives, and we expect our cars to do everything - from the daily commute to the annual camping trip towing a caravan, 4 bikes, 3 surfboards, and 2 fishing rods.
But most Australian households also own two cars. If you are worried about an EV not delivering all the things you need, consider replacing one car - your commuter - with an EV. That will give you a lower upfront cost, lets you dip your toe in the water, and also gives you some immediate savings on petrol.
