Petrol prices hitting $4 a litre should be the final nail in the coffin for the petrol engine. Instead, it has exposed a massive cultural war on Australian roads.
The recent fuel crisis has led to a record number of Aussies fleeing to Chinese EV brands like BYD and MG to escape the bowser pain. But a stubborn third of the country says they will never make the transition, no matter how expensive petrol could get.
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New data from VroomVroomVroom has revealed a psychological wall that no amount of fuel-price agony seems able to break.
The survey of 1,000 drivers found that 39 per cent of petrol and diesel owners wouldn’t switch to an EV even if fuel prices reached $5 a litre.
This EV-resistance is almost entirely a generational split.
Head of Product at VroomVroomVroom, Hieu Vu, says the pushback is fuelled by an emotional and cultural divide between generations, rather than just practical concerns.
“This isn’t a price sensitivity problem, it’s an identity problem,” said Mr Vu.
“For a significant portion of Australians, particularly older drivers, the choice of car runs deeper than the cost to fill it up. That’s a much harder thing to shift than a fuel price.”
Drivers over 45 are a staggering 142 per cent more likely to reject electric cars than younger motorists.
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It follows a change in tune surrounding the Great Aussie Debate, a poll of more than 50,000 readers on News.com.au, that has recorded a shift in attitudes surrounding electric cars.
For many, the nightmare of hunting for a charging station that actually works is enough to keep the petrol engine running.
And it doesn’t help that Australia’s charging network is currently failing under the pressure during public holidays in some parts of the country.
The Easter weekend exposed some of the charging chaos with hours-long queues at major interstate highway stations. For those already sceptical of the tech, seeing a three-hour wait to refuel could be the ultimate deal-breaker.
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Despite the stubbornness, some say there is a price point.
While Sydney unleaded is averaging 218.3 cents this week, the data shows that $4 per litre is the final straw for the internal combustion engine.
If petrol reached $4 a litre, 61 per cent of under-45s would ditch petrol immediately, while only 38 per cent of over-45s would make the switch.
For the average Aussie doing 15,000km a year, $4 petrol adds a brutal $2,400 to the annual cost of living, or $200 a month, compared to today’s prices.
“Four dollars a litre is the psychological barrier,” Mr Vu warned.
“Cross it and EV consideration stops being a fringe conversation, especially for younger drivers who were already more open to it.”
