Rising petrol prices may be putting pressure on Australian motorists, but new research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) suggests fuel costs alone are unlikely to drive a widespread shift to electric vehicles.
The study examined the relationship between fuel consumption habits, refuelling behaviour and willingness to adopt electric vehicles (EVs), finding that motorists’ decisions are shaped by a much broader range of behavioural, economic and policy considerations.
Researchers analysed Australian vehicle registration data from the first quarter of 2022 through to the third quarter of 2025 and surveyed more than 400 owners of internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). The research introduced a new Behavioural Transition to Vehicle Electrification Framework designed to better explain the factors influencing EV adoption.
According to the study, Australia’s transition to electric mobility remains in its early stages despite growing EV sales. ICE-powered vehicles still account for around 80 to 82 per cent of new vehicle registrations, while hybrid and battery electric vehicles continue to represent less than 20 per cent of new vehicle sales.
ECU’s Dr Ahdieh Sadat Khatavakhotan said understanding how Australians currently interact with the fuel system is essential to understanding what encourages or discourages the transition to electric vehicles.
“Australia remains at a relatively early stage of its vehicle electrification journey,” Dr Khatavakhotan said.
The survey found that around half of respondents would consider switching to an EV, while 44 per cent said they would not and the remainder were undecided. However, researchers discovered that motorists willing to adopt an EV visited petrol stations just as frequently as those who were unwilling to make the switch.
“The findings show that how often people visit a petrol station is not a reliable predictor of whether they intend to purchase an electric vehicle,” Dr Khatavakhotan said.
ECU School of Engineering researcher Dr Navid Hashemi Taba said fuel consumption itself was not a decisive factor in adoption decisions.
Instead, previous research and the latest findings indicate that affordability, charging infrastructure availability, driving patterns, environmental attitudes and perceptions of vehicle range play a much larger role.
The study did find that motorists who were particularly sensitive to fuel price fluctuations and discount incentives were more likely to consider an EV, suggesting concerns about future energy costs and price volatility may be stronger motivators than fuel consumption itself.
Researchers concluded that policy makers seeking to accelerate EV adoption should focus on addressing affordability, infrastructure and consumer behaviour rather than relying solely on rising fuel prices to encourage change.
Click here for the full journal article.