Australia’s electric vehicle (EV) market hit a new record in April. And sales of second-hand EVs are soaring too. Some owners are also converting classic cars.
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TRANSCRIPT:
In a suburban garage in Sydney, medical expert Adrian Cohen is polishing a restored vehicle.
"It started its life as a 1990 Mercedes-Benz G240D. Their nickname when they were in military service was the Wolf. They were designed to take the tough stuff."
Dr Cohen also owns two new EVs and an electric Vespa – but says his rebuilt German cross-country vehicle is a ‘one of a kind’.
"I'm very proud of what we've achieved with the Wolf. Having an idea and seeing it come to life gives you a great thrill. Having something that no one else in the world had."
Dr Cohen is no stranger to challenges.
As an emergency medical specialist, he travels the globe with some of the world’s biggest reality tv shows.
But he says converting the Wolf took time.
"From start to finish, this project took just over a year and the cost was about $200,000. Now that's a lot, but then you're going to need to replace every hose, every piece of electrical wiring, every conduit, every piece of rubber."
It was converted in Sydney’s Auburn at a workshop called Electrogusto, founded by former advertising executive, Nick Cummins.
"I've spent 30 years in advertising and marketing, but I love new technology. I also grew up on a dairy farm where you learn to not throw something out but fix it and I have a passion for old cars and old motorbikes. People who love classic cars come in all different shapes and sizes. And when you're driving one, you get lots of thumbs up, you get lots of waves."
On the floor of his workshop, engineers are rebuilding seven vehicles – including a shiny blue Porsche.
"This is probably the most expensive car we've got on the floor. Very, very collectible, very desirable, 356 Porsche. It's an incredibly complex process. We have to make sure that all the other components in that car are up to scratch. So, brakes, steering, suspension, all of those sorts of things often have to be upgraded or replaced. So, we need to find parts from overseas."
Among the many treasures, a French food van painted pink, that Mr Cummins is converting for a catering business.
"Its new life as an electric vehicle is going to weddings and events and serving ice cream and gelato out of the little side window."
He says a 1967 KOMBI is being repurposed for slow tours through the vineyards.
"We put a giant battery pack in it. It's also got DC fast charging. Beautiful build, a lot of fun. When you drive this, you get so many waves and thumbs up. Everybody, everybody loves a Kombi."
Amid uncertainty about the longer-term supply of imported fuel, sellers of more recent used EVs say sales are surging.
Brendon Green is the General Manager of Automotive Solutions at Pickles Auctions in Sydney.
"We saw a hyper focus on used electric vehicles across March and into April and even into May. I suspect a lot of the 31 to 40-year-olds are quite leveraged with their mortgage, interest rates have gone up and they're looking for meaningful ways to minimise their cost-of-living. Overall, the used electric vehicle market jumped by about 20 to 30% just depending on the different vehicles across the month of March in particular."
Sales of new EVs have also soared to an all-time high - a record 16.4 per cent of last month’s total new car market.
Mr Green expects demand to level out, but for now new orders are rolling in.
"Electric vehicle sellers they probably know they're on a good thing right now. There's quite a bit of a wait list... I suspect what we'll see is more hybrid-type families. So you might need a diesel car, a SUV or a light commercial vehicle to tow the boat, tow the caravan for the summer trips and that sort of stuff. But having a second car could well be an EV."
For EV enthusiast Adrian Cohen, moving away from fossil fuels is a big part of the appeal.
"We know that renewables are the future. We know that being able to charge at home means you will never have to go to a gas station again. And you can do all that in your own backyard with a car that you know is going to be efficient for the environment."
