On Sunday in Wonthaggi, 70 people turned up to hear a retiree talk about EVs

As volatile fuel prices are hitting the wallets of car owners around the country, more Gippslanders are considering choosing a fully electric vehicle (EV) as their next car to save on petrol and maintenance costs.

That’s according to South Gippsland resident Sharon Willcox, a retired health policy consultant who has been hosting events to educate locals about the benefits of EVs.

What happened: On Sunday, Willcox assisted South Gippsland Conservation Society in putting together an EV information event at ArtSpace in Wonthaggi.

Willcox told the Monitor she was able to recruit 11 local EV drivers, with 11 different models of EVs, to attend the event and talk to the 70 attendees about the cars and how to charge and maintain them.

“We had everything from BYD and Tesla, to Fiat and Volvo, to XPeng and Hyundai.”

ArtSpace’s two EV chargers were used to illustrate how to pump up the battery.

Price comparison

In comparing the price between EVs and petrol cars, Willcox said: “You have to consider the whole picture: The upfront, maintenance, fuel and servicing costs.”

Fuel: On average, Willcox said it costs her roughly $35 to drive 1,000km if she’s using a mix of public and domestic chargers. 

This cost can be lowered if EV owners combine a home charging system and battery with rooftop solar.

“I've got solar and a battery at home, so it costs me about $5 over summer to do 1,000 kilometres,” Willcox said.

“If I'm on a big road trip, it'll cost me more because public EV chargers cost more. But they're still about a third of the price of petrol and diesel, so charging is a lot cheaper.”

Upfront cost: Willcox said that five years ago, the cheapest EV available in Australia was slightly north of $50,000. 

Now, the cheapest EV is about half that. The BYD Atto 1, for example, has a drive-away price between $25,200 and $26,500.

“There are many more EVs that are beginning to be price competitive with petrol and diesel cars,” Willcox said.

Maintenance: Willcox said her servicing costs for an EV are lower than petrol cars because of the lack of oil changes, timing belts, spark plugs and exhaust systems.

According to AutoGuru, an online marketplace for car repairs, not having a petrol engine “translates directly into lower servicing bills”.

In 2025, a survey by the Electric Vehicle Council found 73 percent of EV owners reported spending less than $300 annually on maintenance, compared to $700 to $1,200 a year for petrol car owners.

But what about the battery lifespan?

Willcox said most EVs on the market today have eight-year warranties for at least 160,000km, which includes battery coverage.

She said the battery in a secondhand EV she owned had gone down three or four percent in three years.

The Australian Electric Vehicles Association has an online resource listing every EV model available in Australia, including price, driving range and towing capacity.