While the van Mr Wilcox towed was pretty lightweight, experts say it’s not a matter of if – it’s a matter of when – EVs will be towing larger vans on extended trips. Certainly, Mr Wilcox believes the technology is only going to improve.

“The tech has got better … just like your phone gets updates, so does your car,” he told the Newcastle Herald. “My car is better now than when I bought it … my brother also has one, it has 100 kilometres more range than mine and he paid about $10,000 less.”

Mr Wilcox bought his Tesla 2.5 years ago for about $72,000. This model has since come down in price. It now costs about $62,000.

Electric vehicle charging stations are going to become ever more common.

Mr Wilcox described his own vehicle as ‘brilliant’. He told the Newcastle Herald that it charged ‘directly from the solar system’, referring to the electricity generated from solar panels on his roof.

He said the car produced much less noise and vibration than previous cars he owned, and it was incredibly easy to drive as the Tesla’s gears move only in forward and reverse.

But he says the biggest advantage comes when it comes to running costs.

“Generally it costs me $5 to $7 a week to charge for about 350 kilometres,” he said. “It costs next to nothing to run.”

As there are fewer moving parts and fluids, the Tesla only requires servicing every two years. It costs about $200 for a service.

The Newcastle Herald reports that sales of plug-in electric vehicles tripled in Australia from 6900 in 2020 to 20,665 in 2021. Electric vehicles account for 2% market share of new cars, up from 0.78% in 2020. The Tesla Model 3 was the biggest seller, with 12,094 vehicles sold last year.

Most grey nomads fantasising about being able to take extended trips in an electric vehicle worry about the availability and convenience of charging stations … but that too is changing.

Late last year, the Caravan Industry Association of Australia suggested more van parks should have charging stations installed. And there is a wider push to cater to this growing segment of the market. For example, the NSW state government plans to spend $171 million over four years to ensure widespread charging coverage, so drivers can be confident they can drive their vehicles anywhere.

Charging an electric vehicle from a home wall box takes seven to 12 hours. And most electric vehicles take about 40 minutes to reach a charge of 80% with super-fast roadside chargers.

Mr Jafari, of the Electric Vehicle Council, has urged governments to do more to encourage people to take up electric vehicles, saying the benefits include cleaner air, reduced respiratory illness, smaller carbon footprint and quieter roads.

“In other countries, about 20% cent of the cars they sell are electric,” he told the Newcastle Herald. “We need to make electric vehicles more accessible to Australians.”

• Do you think the latest fuel price ‘crisis’ will be the spark that will soon make an electric vehicle a realistic way to travel Australia? Comment below.

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