Replacing one million petrol-powered cars with electric vehicles could reduce Australia’s reliance on foreign fuel by more than one billion litres each year, according to new analysis by transport experts.
The shift would also help protect Australian motorists from global oil price shocks and improve national energy security.
How electric vehicles reduce fuel demand
Professor Hussein Dia from Swinburne University of Technology says every electric vehicle replacing a petrol car removes the need for imported fuel.
Instead, the vehicle uses electricity — most of which is produced domestically in Australia.
“That reduces exposure to global oil price shocks and improves the resilience of the transport system,” Dia said.
The numbers behind the transition
A typical petrol car travelling about 15,000 kilometres per year uses roughly 1,150 litres of fuel annually.
That means replacing one million petrol vehicles with EVs could cut fuel consumption by more than one billion litres every year.
Australia currently burns about 25 billion litres of petrol and diesel annually across its vehicle fleet.
If half the country’s vehicles were electric, fuel consumption could fall by roughly 12 billion litres each year, according to estimates.
EV adoption still growing
Electric vehicle adoption in Australia remains relatively small but is growing.
There are currently about 420,000 electric vehicles on Australian roads.
That represents only about 2% of the nation’s total vehicle fleet, which includes roughly 20 million cars.
Global events driving interest in EVs
The discussion around electric vehicles has intensified as global tensions disrupt energy markets.
Recent conflict in the Middle East has pushed petrol prices in Australia’s major east coast cities to about $2.30 per litre, according to data from MotorMouth.
Diesel prices in some regional areas have approached $2.65 per litre.
Energy experts say such price shocks often encourage more drivers to consider switching to electric vehicles.
Policy debate continues
Alison Reeve from the Grattan Institute said rising fuel prices could accelerate the shift toward EVs.
Meanwhile Matt Kean said electrifying transport would help reduce both emissions and Australia’s vulnerability to global oil markets.
Experts say while replacing millions of petrol cars will take time, expanding electric vehicle adoption could play a key role in strengthening Australia’s energy resilience.
