Just 4 per cent of people earning less than $40,000 a year said they used or intended to own an electric vehicle, compared with 22 per cent of people earning more than $241,000, according to a Monash University study of future home life. One-quarter of survey participants said they couldn’t afford the costs of owning an EV, including purchase, maintenance and charger installation.
The study links household income to choices about home design, work and energy use. Researchers drew on 49 participants from a range of backgrounds across the country for the Foresights for Future Australian Home Life report. They conducted the work over three years.
Who Can Afford the Transition
Liza, from Tasmania, said electric vehicles were a good idea but “they’re so bloody expensive,” adding that buying a new electric car was financially out of reach for her. Wendy, from the ACT, said, “I feel like saying Canberra is the Tesla town … People here may be able to afford electric cars, but I don’t know, well, I can’t, but how are people going to afford these new technologies?”
Australia sold an electric vehicle every 100 seconds, and the Electric Vehicle Council projected EVs would account for almost one-quarter of all new car sales that year. The study also found EV use or intended ownership was more common among the highest-income group surveyed than among those earning under $40,000.
About one-third of households that owned or planned to buy an EV or plug-in hybrid wanted affordable charging options, including solar power or off-peak electricity tariffs. Ravi, from Victoria, said, “We would love to charge at home. We don’t want to go outside and wait for hours.” He added, “It’s better to … if we have that, we’ll get it charged at home.”
One in three homes in Australia has rooftop solar. About 300,000 systems go in each year. The survey found that solar adoption increased with income. Households earning under $80,000 were more likely to report no intention of installing solar, and some participants said they felt excluded from the energy transition because EVs and solar seemed aimed at more affluent groups.
Work and Space at Home
Half of the surveyed households had one member working from home at least once a week. Participants often described combining an office area with other parts of the home to manage work and other tasks, including childcare.
Jane, from Victoria, said working from home meant she didn’t have to worry about traffic or a train being cancelled. She also said she has a disability and public transport isn’t viable for her much of the time. Andrew, from South Australia, said working from home let him drop off and pick up his children, leave to attend to something at home such as an electrician, and continue working without rescheduling his whole life.
Professor Sarah Pink, the lead researcher, said people imagined their next home having more space for a dedicated work-from-home room. But University of Sydney associate professor of building science Jungsoo Kim said new homes could make better use of space, with flexible areas or separation for work alongside other household activities.
Kim said adaptable rooms or zones could provide visual and acoustic separation, daylight, ventilation, thermal comfort and access to power. Some people need privacy for concentration, meetings or confidential conversations; others work effectively in shared, open areas. In smaller homes, flexible spaces combining living and working could be more practical than a dedicated office. Movable screens, curtains, compact furniture, storage and task lighting could create separation without another room.
Costs in the Energy Transition
Researchers said Australians’ relationship with their homes and cars is changing as the energy transition shifts how electricity is generated and delivered across the network. Professor Pink called the cost-of-living crisis “an important dimension” of that transition. She said one participant imagined possibly living in their car in the future rather than being able to purchase an electric vehicle.
The report describes household choices and design possibilities, including home charging and flexible work areas. The findings cited here identify affordability barriers and income differences; they don't report a government measure to address those costs.