An unprecedented boom is underway in Australia’s electric vehicle market.

Almost 158,000 electric vehicles (EVs) were sold in the first six months of 2026, according to the Electric Vehicle Council’s latest report, released today. This is more than in all of 2025.

EVs accounted for one in four new cars sold in the first half of 2026, with their market share more than doubling from 12.1% in the first half of 2025 to 25.8% over the same period this year.

This surge has come amid extraordinary fuel price volatility during the US-Iran war, and at a time when Australians have more electric models to choose from than ever before.

But as hundreds of thousands more EVs hit Australian roads, is the necessary charging infrastructure ready to keep them moving?

What’s behind the sales boom?

Of all new cars sold in the first half of 2026, about 17% were fully electric, while another 9% were plug-in hybrids (cars that combine a rechargeable battery with a petrol or diesel engine).

Sales of both types of vehicles have grown remarkably quickly. Compared with the same six months last year, sales of fully electric vehicles rose by about 120%, while plug-in hybrid sales increased by about 112%.

The acceleration in fully electric cars is particularly striking. After a relatively subdued start to 2025, monthly sales climbed sharply through early 2026 and reached a record high in June.

If this trajectory continues, more than 200,000........

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