No love for hybrids in Australia
If the latest motor vehicle sales figures are anything to go by, Australia has a long way to go to clean up its act on the roads, both on the supply and demand sides. The year-to-date statistics show that just 0.5 per cent of all vehicles sold were hybrids, and 62 per cent of those vehicles were bought by governments. On a positive note, the trend for hybrids is upwards, with the past month seeing the most hybrid vehicles yet sold in Australia (380).
Why are hybrid sales so sluggish in Australia when compared to other parts of the world? There are a variety of factors that play into it, not the least of which is a lack of incentives from state and federal government to buy more efficient cars, making them a more expensive purchase than in other countries. Coupled with concerns about battery life and misconceptions about the “true” environmental cost of manufacturing, as well as a lack of variety on the supply side, it’s little wonder that most of Australia has yet to see the value in them. Given the limited market, are we likely to see an Australian hybrid on the roads any time soon or will our auto companies deem it too risky an investment?
(Sources: Courier Mail, Australian Bureau of Statistics)
Original post by Nathan