A landmark nationwide survey of 42,472 motorists conducted by the NRMA reveals a significant shift in driver sentiment across Australia, with rising fuel costs emerging as a far greater concern for petrol-car drivers than charging access or "range anxiety" is for electric vehicle (EV) owners.
The extensive survey - the largest membership-based study in the NRMA's history - showed that 75 per cent of internal combustion engine (ICE) drivers named volatile fuel prices as their primary motoring concern. By contrast, 68 per cent of EV owners expressed concern over public charging infrastructure availability, signaling that daily fuel cost pressures are weighing more heavily on traditional vehicle owners than charging logistics are on battery-electric drivers.
Key Findings:
- Diminishing Hesitations: Traditional barriers to EV adoption, including high upfront sticker prices and long-distance range anxiety, are steadily fading as more affordable models hit Australian showrooms and battery technology improves.
- Road Trip Confidence: Defying long-held myths regarding long-distance travel, 72 per cent of EV owners report planning a road trip over the next 12 months - an eight percentage point increase over general ICE motorists. Overall, 92 per cent of EV drivers described long-distance travel as "easy".
- Parity in Total Ownership Costs: NRMA's financial analysis shows that when evaluated across whole-of-life ownership - factoring in fuel, service, and maintenance savings - EVs have reached practical cost parity with equivalent petrol and diesel models.
- Broad Support for Transition: Approximately 74 per cent of surveyed EV owners urged peak motoring bodies to accelerate public charging buildouts and consumer educational initiatives to streamline the transition.
Industry Perspective:
Commenting on the results, NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury emphasized that Australian drivers are actively switching away from imported fossil fuels in favor of home-grown electricity.
"NRMA members confirm the raw data of monthly sales reports: EVs are no longer burgeoning, but booming. In a year of oil shock, 2026 will be seen as a tipping point. Motorists have in unprecedented numbers sought vehicles that run on Australian electricity rather than imported fuel."
With electrified vehicles accounting for nearly half of all new vehicle registrations during the second quarter of 2026, the study underscores that ongoing fuel price volatility is acting as a strong catalyst for mainstream EV adoption nationwide.
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