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Tide turning for green cars: ‘Majority of buyers’ keen on hybrids

Chicken and egg: As more and more brands begin to make 'green' cars more accessible, interest is picking up in the market.


More than 50 per cent of Australian new car buyers would seriously consider buying a hybrid, while diesel's popularity is starting to wane, according to a new local study.

According to the latest Roy Morgan Automotive Currency Report, 51.6 per cent of Aussie drivers aged over 18 would "seriously consider buying" a hybrid vehicle, up from just 48.7 per cent in 2015.

“The attitudes surrounding petrol alternative fuels have changed notably in the last few years," said Norman Morris, Roy Morgan industry communications director.

"Those alternatives considered more environmentally friendly than traditional petrol engines have seen increased consideration, especially as major car brands continue to invest in making those alternatives more affordable and accessible."

Of course, there's still a difference between 'seriously considering' and actually purchasing. Just 6721 hybrid vehicles have been registered this year, and the majority (3893) have been sold to 'non-private' buyers, suggesting fleets are doing the heavy lifting.

Things are even more grim for electric vehicles, with just 665 sold year-to-date. (But, then, try finding an affordable EV right now - Ed.)

It's worth bearing in mind, Tesla doesn't report to VFACTS, so those figures don't include Model S and Model X sales.

With that said, we can expect an uptick in EV sales when the Hyundai Kona Electric, Nissan Leaf and, eventually, Tesla Model 3 touch down.

Both the Kona and Leaf are expected to come in around the $50,000 mark when they arrive, making them significantly more affordable than the current Tesla line-up, and left-field offerings like the BMW i3.

Where the majority favoured the idea of purchasing a diesel in 2015, the most recent figures reveal 45.5 per cent of people are seriously considering an oiler in 2018.

Whether it's Dieselgate, or the fact petrol engines and electrified vehicles have improved dramatically over the last three years, it appears diesel is on the nose.

Love for LPG is also declining, with 21.1 per cent of the 50,000 people surveyed putting it on their list, down 6.7 per cent on the number from 2015.

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