The number of new EVs being sold remains far below what’s needed to meet the ACT Government’s 2030 net-zero targets. Photo: James Coleman.
The Australian Electric Vehicle Association has revealed that one in 20 light vehicles in the ACT is now an EV. But despite the milestone, it remains well below the ACT Government’s desired targets.
New data from the ACT Government shows that there are now 17,127 electric vehicles registered in the Territory as of 1 July 2026, up from just 400 in 2020.
The increase in EVs has been steady for the last three years, with around 3500 new registered cars in Canberra each year.
According to Australian Electric Vehicle Association ACT (AEVA ACT) spokesperson Paul Wayper, even more EVs are expected in 2026 due to global fuel disruptions.
“AEVA is glad to see the dramatic increase in electric vehicle registrations. It shows that people are responding to increased petrol prices and the government’s new generous loans for buying lower-cost electric vehicles.
“Electric vehicles in all their forms are making a big impact on transport in Canberra. We now have around 17,000 electric cars, 19 light rail vehicles, over 100 electric buses and many electric micromobility devices.
“All of these vehicles are reducing our dependence on imported fuel and reducing harmful traffic-related air pollution.”
Despite EVs now making up 5 per cent of all cars on Canberra roads, according to the Electric Vehicle Council, the share of new vehicles sold that are EVs is roughly 35 per cent, peaking at 36.5 per cent in May 2026.
This number is still significantly lower than the ACT Government’s target of 80 to 90 per cent of all new light vehicle sales being Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) by 2030.
In March, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the rate at which new EVs were being sold was slowing, and the 2030 target to phase out petrol vehicles may take longer than originally planned.
“If you had asked me this question several years ago, I was more optimistic about the rate of transition from the auto manufacturers to electric-only,” he said.
“There appears to be a winding back of some of that ambition by international manufacturers.
“Of course, we do not manufacture vehicles in Australia, so what is on offer in our market is a reflection of the new national vehicle emission standards that certainly are seeing more and cheaper electric vehicles on the market, but there will still be legacy internal combustion engine vehicles throughout the next decade. I am afraid that is a reality that we must face.
“As it goes to broader net-zero emission ambitions, we will need to factor in offsets. The fact is that there will still be internal combustion engine vehicles driving on roads in the ACT well into the 2040s. That is very clear.”
