Julie Delvecchio, CEO of the Electric Vehicle Council.
Electric vehicles reached 22.9% of new car sales in March 2026 – the highest on record – as more Australians chose EVs for long weekend travel, supported by lower running costs.
EVC and publicly recorded data showed that 24,054 (15,839 BEVs and 8,215 PHEVs) sold in March, with EV sales growing 69.6% year to date compared to 2025.
“The overall car market tightened by 3% in March but EVs bucked the trend, hitting 22.9% market share. We’ve just crossed half a million EVs on Australian roads,” said Julie Delvecchio, CEO of the Electric Vehicle Council.
“This growth is being driven by two things – soaring petrol prices stinging household budgets, and the Electric Car Discount – which has put EVs within reach for more than 100,000 Australians.
“One is a crisis. The other is a government policy that’s working. But a fuel crisis is not a long-term strategy. The Electric Car Discount needs to stay so the next wave of buyers can do what over half a million Australians already have and save $3,000 a year by switching.”
The record sales period coincided with a surge in public charging demand over the Easter long weekend, as more Australians than ever hit the road in electric vehicles.
“This Easter was one of the biggest tests yet for Australia’s public charging network,” said Ms Delvecchio.
“The surge wasn’t unexpected given the current fuel crisis, but it provides a clear sign of what lies ahead as more Australians make the switch to electric vehicles.
“Peak holiday travel will always be the most challenging time for any transport system. While some locations experienced congestion during peak travel periods, overall charging held up for most EV drivers.”
The NRMA reported strong performance across its charging network during the holiday period.
“The NRMA network performed strongly over the Easter weekend, even under record utilisation with total energy delivered increased by 100% year on year.” said an NRMA spokesperson.
In Adelaide, the RAA Charge network also reported a doubling of session times over the holiday weekend when compared to last year.
“We were prepared for this level of EV growth and are glad to see the network could handle the increased interest,” said an RAA Spokesperson.
To meet the growing demand, the EVC is calling for a single national charging plan to guide rollout of infrastructure for both passenger vehicles and freight through to 2035 in line with Australia’s net-zero targets.
“We need a roadmap that supports passenger vehicles and freight, gives industry certainty, and ensures Australia is ready for the next decade of transport electrification,” Ms Delvecchio said.
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