Until now, you might have thought of electric vehicles as inner suburban toys. Teslas and Polestars are expensive, leaving them as playthings for wealthier Australians and out of reach for the mortgage belt.
But that’s no longer the case. As residents in the outer suburbs reel from price rises seemingly everywhere, more and more are turning to electric vehicles (EVs) to slash their fuel bill.
Last year, EV orders for outer suburban residents (43%) overtook inner suburban residents (39%) for the first time. Rural and regional residents accounted for 18% of orders.
Avoiding petrol costs is one reason. But there are other good reasons, from easier parking and charging, to lower maintenance. And as our research into why people buy EVs has shown, there’s an even more fundamental reason – car buyers now know more about EVs and feel more familiar with the technology.
Outer suburbs rely on cars
The further you get from the city centre, the more likely you are to have to drive. Distances are longer and public transport drops off. Research from 2020 shows most outer suburban residents who commute have to travel between 10 and 30 kilometres. Every workday return commute costs these workers about A$36 in car running costs, or $180 a week – and this figure will likely have risen since.
So while the initial upfront cost of an EV may put some people off, others run the numbers on how much they spend on petrol – and how much they would save by going electric.
Petrol prices have surged in recent years due to armed conflict in Europe and the Middle East. This affects outer suburban, rural and regional residents the most, given they cover the most distance.
This is a major reason why more outer suburbanites are going electric. Electricity is much cheaper than petrol, especially if you make it yourself with solar. Outer suburban residents are more likely to have solar on their rooftops than inner suburban residents in Sydney and Melbourne.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the majority of electric vehicle owners live 20 to 60km away from their city’s CBD.
The most popular EVs in Australia last year (Tesla Model Y, Model 3 and BYD’s Atto) can drive between 400 and 500km before needing a recharge. The all-important range has grown substantially in recent years, and now mean suburban residents can commute, shop and go out without worrying about finding a place to charge.
In fact, the outer suburbs are better placed than inner suburbs in terms of charging cheaply. In the inner suburbs, space is at a premium and many houses do not have off-street parking. That makes it hard to recharge your car from your home. But outer suburban homes tend to have off street parking or a garage, which means you can charge cheaply at home.
This is to say nothing of the environmental benefits by avoiding what comes out of the tailpipe of an internal combustion car: carbon dioxide, PM2.5 particles dangerous to our health, and many other nasties.
EVs versus the cost of living
At present, many of us are reining in expenses, cutting back on extracurricular activities and putting off holidays to cope with the surging cost of everything – especially mortgages.
It would make financial sense for many of us to switch to EVs to take advantage of much cheaper running and maintenance costs. But the higher up-front cost of EVs has long been a disincentive.
What’s changing now is that cheaper EVs are arriving from the likes of the world’s second-largest EV manufacturer, China’s BYD and other Chinese brands such as MG. Tesla has cut its prices, too.
In Australia, the cheapest EVs now start from A$40,000, though most still cost $60,000–$90,000.
The secondhand market is growing too, as government fleet EVs come up for sale and as early adopters buy new cars and sell their old.
What are governments doing?
Subsidies, tax credits, and local charging infrastructure are making it easier for residents on the outskirts to transition towards greener transport.
Some state governments are trying to accelerate adoption with a range of incentives for EV owners, from subsidies to cheaper registration. The interest was so strong in Victoria and South Australia that these governments have wound back some subsidies. By contrast, Queensland is offering a generous $6,000 rebate for new EV owners.
At a federal level, the proposed new vehicle efficiency standards will encourage carmakers to sell more fuel-efficient vehicles. If these standards come in, they will likely penalise fuel-guzzling cars and make fuel misers cheaper. They will also likely increase the number of EVs and other zero-emissions vehicles in the Australian market.
What’s next?
Outer suburban residents are buying electric vehicles for very good reasons: financial prudence, practicality and a cleaner future.
Petrol is a substantial expense for many who live in car-dependent suburbs. If you can stop buying it and get the same thing you want – transport – with far cheaper running costs, why wouldn’t you? 
Park Thaichon, Associate Professor of Marketing, University of Southern Queensland
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
His considerable lead, and a chance at history, slipping away, Andy Murray dug deep for stamina and mental strength, outlasting Novak Djokovic in a thrilling five-set, nearly five-hour US Open final Monday. It had been 76 years since a British man won a Grand Slam singles championship and, at least for Murray, it was well worth the wait. Ending a nation's long drought, and snapping his own four-final skid in majors, Murray finally pulled through with everything at stake on a Grand Slam stage, shrugging off defending champion Djokovic's comeback bid to win 7-6 (10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2. "Relief is probably the best word I would use to describe how I'm feeling just now,'' Murray said, adding: "You do think: Is it ever going to happen?'' Murray already had showed he could perform on a big stage by winning the gold medal in front of a home crowd at the London Olympics last month. But this was different. This was a Grand Slam tournament, the standard universally used to measure tennis greatness _ and the 287th since Britain's Fred Perry won the 1936 U.S.Championships, as the event was known back then. "He deserved to win this Grand Slam more than anybody,'' Djokovic said of Murray, who will rise to No. 3 in the rankings behind No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 2 Djokovic. Murray vs. Djokovic was a test of will as much as skill, lasting 4 hours, 54 minutes, tying the record for longest U.S. Open final. The first-set tiebreaker's 22 points set a tournament mark. They repeatedly produced fantastic, tales-in-themselves points, lasting 10, 20, 30, even 55 _ yes, 55! _ strokes, counting the serve. The crowd gave a standing ovation to salute one majestic, 30-stroke point in the fourth set that ended with Murray's forehand winner as Djokovic fell to the court, slamming on his left side. "Novak is so, so strong. He fights until the end in every single match,'' Murray said. "I don't know how I managed to come through in the end.'' But as the finish approached, Djokovic _ who had won eight consecutive five-set matches, including in the semifinals (against Murray) and final (against Rafael Nadal) at the Australian Open in January _ was the one looking fragile, trying to catch breathers and doing deep knee bends at the baseline to stretch his aching groin muscles. After getting broken to trail 5-2 in the fifth, Djokovic had his legs massaged by a trainer. "Well, any loss is a bad loss. There is no question about it,'' Djokovic said. "I'm disappointed to lose the match, but in the back of my mind I knew that I gave it all. I really, really tried to fight my way back.'' No one had blown a two-set lead in the U.S. Open title match since 1949, and Murray was determined not to claim that distinction. When Djokovic sent a forehand long on the final point, Murray crouched and covered his mouth with both hands, as though even he could not believe this moment had actually arrived. The 25-year-old Scot took off his sneakers, grimacing with each step as he gingerly stepped across the court. Djokovic came around to offer congratulations and a warm embrace, while "Chariots of Fire'' blared over the Arthur Ashe Stadium loudspeakers. Murray was one of only two men in the professional era, which began in 1968, to have lost his first four Grand Slam finals _ against Djokovic in the 2011 Australian Open, and against Federer at the 2008 U.S. Open, 2010 Australian Open and this year's Wimbledon. The other player who began 0-4? Ivan Lendl, who just so happens to be Murray's coach now. Murray's forehand is one of the improvements he's made under the tutelage of Lendl, who sat still for much of the match, eyeglasses perched atop his white baseball hat and crossed arms resting on his red sweater _ in sum, betraying about as much emotion as he ever did during his playing days. During the post-match ceremony, Murray joked about Lendl's reaction: "I think that was almost a smile.'' The lack of a Grand Slam title for Murray, and for his country, has been the subject of much conversation and consternation in the United Kingdom, where the first of what would become tennis' top titles was awarded at Wimbledon in 1877. Djokovic, in contrast, was bidding for his sixth major trophy, fifth in the past two seasons. He had won 27 Grand Slam hard-court matches in a row. Murray and Djokovic were born a week apart in May 1987, and they've known, and competed against, each other since they were about 11. Before Saturday's semifinals in New York, they shared a computer and sat together to watch online as Murray's Scotland and Djokovic's Serbia played to a 0-0 draw in a qualifying match for soccer's World Cup. It was windy at the start Monday, gusting above 25 mph, and Murray dealt with it much better. Djokovic admitted after his semifinal that he was bothered by heavy wind while falling behind 5-2 in the first set Saturday; that's when play was suspended until the next day, the reason the tournament finished on a Monday instead of Sunday for the fifth consecutive year. Murray faced similar conditions in the semifinals _ when a changeover chair skidded onto the court as he served one point _ and joked after that victory that growing up in wind-whipped Scotland helped. With the air carrying balls and making them dip or dart this way and that, nearly every shot became a bit of an adventure. Both players repeatedly needed to adjust mid-swing, contorting their bodies simply to make contact. Both let service tosses fall to the ground because the ball would move out of hitting range. As the wind wrapped around the chair umpire's microphone, it made a loud, distracting sound that resembled thunder. "We both did a lot of running. It was unfortunate really to not be able to come up with big shots at the right time. It forced me to go for winners or mistakes,'' Djokovic said. "Unfortunately I did a lot of mistakes.'' He totaled 65 unforced errors to Murray's 56; they combined for 49 more unforced errors than winners. That said, there probably should have a statistic to count wind-forced errors. They traded nearly mirror-image breaks in the first two games, and that made sense, given how good both are at returning serve. Two of the best in the game right now, maybe ever. Djokovic crouches low, his back nearly parallel to the ground, before an opponent serves. Murray shuffles his weight from leg to leg and hops forward at the last second to cut off angles. Both worked hard, the physical nature taking a toll. Djokovic's right knee was bloodied after he scraped it during a few tumbles to the court when he lost his footing, and he switched shoes late in the third set. Murray clutched his left thigh while deciding not to chase a lob. There were 10 points of at least 10 strokes each in the first-set tiebreaker, which lasted 25 minutes. Djokovic saved each of Murray's initial five set points, the last with a 123 mph ace to make it 10-all. But Djokovic's backhand flew long at the end of a 21-shot exchange to cede set point No. 6, and this time Murray converted, hitting a 117 mph serve that Djokovic couldn't put in the court. Murray turned toward his guest box and bellowed, ``Come on!'' That loss to Federer in this year's Wimbledon final left Murray in tears, his voice cracking as he told the supportive Centre Court crowd, "I'm getting closer.'' He appeared to be really, really close Monday, after seizing that epic first set and then racing to a 4-0 lead in the second. But Djokovic is nothing if not tenacious, and he would not go quietly. Raising his level of play as Murray took a step or two backward, Djokovic broke for 4-1 and then again when Murray served for a two-set lead at 5-3. That's when Murray made three unforced errors, truly showing some jitters, as though the prospect of such prosperity was a tad overwhelming. When Djokovic held to 5-all, it seemed as though the second set might head to a tiebreaker, too. But with Djokovic serving while trailing 6-5, he was the one who faltered. On a 31-stroke point, Djokovic missed a forehand to make it 15-30. Then Murray's defensive skills came into play, as he got one overhead back and forced Djokovic to hit a second, which sailed wide. Chest heaving, Djokovic put his hands on his hips, having a hard time understanding what was happening. Two points later, Djokovic pushed an inside-out forehand wide, giving Murray that set. Even Lendl rose to his feet. Djokovic, though, knows how to fashion a comeback. He's won three times after facing a two-set hole, most recently in the French Open's fourth round this year, and most notably in the U.S. Open's semifinals against Federer last year. "If I had lost this one from two sets up,'' Murray said, "that would have been a tough one to take.'' After stretching for a backhand volley winner to hold at 1-1 in the third, Djokovic let out a guttural yell and pumped his fists. Across the net, Murray frowned and shook his head. In the very next game, as Murray kept up a monologue of self-admonishment, Djokovic kept up his better-late-than-never charge. He broke for a 2-1 lead, turning on a 126 mph serve with a terrific return. Soon enough, they were headed to a fourth set. Djokovic held onto the momentum there. He secured a break point by tapping the ball over the net with the lightest caress, then took four steps, raised his right fist and yelled. There was more punching of the air and screaming seconds later after a volley winner put Djokovic ahead 1-0. The sun was setting, the match was approaching 3{ hours, and it was apparent that Murray was now tentative and in some trouble. "At some point, it's going to come down to who wants it more or how badly do you want it,'' Lendl said. "I don't want to say Novak didn't want it. But it's: How bad do you want it? What price are you going to pay and how can you execute under extreme pressure?'' Federer, Djokovic and Nadal _ who missed the U.S. Open with a left knee injury _ had won 29 of the previous 30 major tournaments (the exception: Juan Martin del Potro in New York in 2009). Now Murray joins the Grand Slam club. "I think everybody's in kind of shock,'' Murray said, "that this happened.''
Mumbai: The hotel tariff went up by 12 per cent in the first six months of this year in the country amid rise in demand for hotel rooms from domestic travellers, the recent Hotel Price Index (HPI) report said. According to the report which reviewed the hotel tariff globally, there are clear signs that the hotel industry is on the recovery path. "In India, the overall rate rose 12 per cent following a surge in demand from domestic travellers as overseas destinations became more expensive," the report said. For the first time in five years, travellers paid more for their hotel rooms during the first six months of 2012, in all parts of the world and globally average hotel prices rose by 4 per cent over the last year indicating the hotel industry is staging recovery, it said. Launched in 2004, the HPI looks at prices that people actually paid for their hotel rooms around the world. "The hotel industry bounced back in the first half of this year from a number of natural and political crises in 2011, and it is encouraging to see growth in the sector," Hotels.com President David Roche said. While initially it may not seem good news for consumers, hotel prices are still only around their 2005 level, representing great value for travellers when both wages and other prices have risen considerably, he added. Following the turmoil of the Arab Spring in early 2011, confidence returned to much of the Middle East and North Africa and hotel prices rose accordingly. Japanese began to travel again putting behind the turbulence of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in March 2011 while there was significant increase in the number of Chinese international travellers that helped to drive rates higher, the report said. In the US, increasing business travel coupled with higher consumer spending made hotels busier with less discounting. In the Pacific, the resources boom in Australia meant that space was at a premium, especially in Western Australia with global business visitors vying with mining executives for rooms. Although rates rose as a whole in Europe, the results showed a mixed picture. In euro zone, prices dropped where falling consumer confidence and spending power led to lower occupancy in the major cities and holiday hot spots. "The first six months of 2012 have proved a promising start for most hotels. However, the second half of the year, with increasingly mixed economic signals, will be interesting to watch," Roche said. 
