Electric vehicles (EVs) are growing in popularity in Queensland, and it’s not just in inner-city suburbs.
The Australian Automobile Association’s (AAA) EV Index shows that of the top 10 postcodes for EV uptake in South East Queensland, five of these are located more than 10km from the Brisbane and Gold Coast CBDs.
“We’re seeing strong growth continuing in South East Queensland, both in the inner and leafy suburbs where we’ve seen it previously, but now we’re seeing strong growth in electric car sales in the middle and outer suburbs,” said Dr Michael Kane, head of public policy at the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ).
On Brisbane’s west, the postcode of 4069 – home to quiet, leafy suburbs like Chapel Hill and Kenmore – saw a 312 per cent increase in EV registrations between January 2021 and January 2023.
A total of 350 EVs are now registered in that postcode as of January, up from 85 two years ago.
Crossing the Brisbane River, postcodes 4109 (Sunnybank, Macgregor and Robertson) and 4123 (Rochdale and Rochdale South) also saw surges in EV ownership.
These are up 582 and 548 per cent, respectively, for totals of 163 and 148 EVs.
Head down the coast and it’s a similar story. Northern Gold Coast suburbs have become EV hotspots, with postcodes 4212 (Helensvale, Hope Island and Sanctuary Cove) and 4209 (Coomera, Pimpama and Willow Vale) in the top 10.
The former is up 309 per cent to 220 registrations, the latter a whopping 856 per cent increase albeit to 214 registrations.
The post code of 4217, which includes bustling Surfers Paradise, sits in first place, with Brisbane’s CBD in third and neighbouring 4006 – home to Fortitude Valley, Newstead, Herston and Bowen Hills – sitting in fourth.
| Postcode | Suburbs | EV registrations as at 31 Jan 2021 | EV registrations as at 31 Jan 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4217 | Benowa, Bundall, Main Beach, Surfers Paradise | 81 | 369 |
| 4069 | Brookfield, Chapel Hill, Fig Tree Pocket, Kenmore | 85 | 350 |
| 4000 | Brisbane City | 62 | 293 |
| 4006 | Bowen Hills, Fortitude Valley, Herston, Newstead | 69 | 294 |
| 4152 | Carindale, Camp Hill, Carina | 49 | 269 |
| 4212 | Helensvale, Hope Island, Sanctuary Cove | 71 | 291 |
| 4209 | Coomera, Pimpama, Willow Vale | 25 | 239 |
| 4170 | Cannon Hill, Morningside, Norman Park, Seven Hills | 20 | 189 |
| 4109 | Sunnybank, Macgregor, Robertson | 28 | 191 |
| 4123 | Rochdale, Rochdale South | 27 | 175 |
“This is due to the greater affordability of electric cars and the more diverse models that are now available for people, so as we see greater price competition and more choice, we will continue to see more EV sales.”
Dr Kane also attributes new Queensland Government rebates and Federal Government Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) exemptions as helping to juice EV uptake in the Sunshine State.
Queenslanders are eligible for rebates of up to $6000 on the purchase of a new EV priced at up to $68,000.
“To support the growth in electric car sales in Queensland, we’re going to need to see more EV charging,” Dr Kane added.
“There’s no doubt range anxiety is still a big deterrent for many Queenslanders considering an EV and we must address this to ensure a smooth transition to cleaner transport,” he said.
“As well as building a new charging station at Carseldine in Brisbane, RACQ is co-funding seven new fast charging sites in Cairns, Mackay, Gladstone, Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Toowoomba and Mitchell with the Queensland Government.
The Queensland Government is also opening 46 charging sites across more than 30 predominantly regional locations, with co-investment from the private sector.
These will be operational by the end of 2024.
