But, if we are to be completely honest, caravans haven’ t gotten lighter overall. Instead, we have just added more stuff to them to make up the difference. If anything, caravans have gotten bigger and heavier. Tare weights of 2800kg are now the norm. The availability of American pick-up trucks with towing capacities in the order of 4000kg hasn’ t helped, with many manufacturers offering caravans with ATMs of the same magnitude.
At the same time as all this was happening, the price of diesel remained reasonably constant and affordable. We had the occasional bump along the way, but for the most part, caravanners could afford the fuel in their huge Land Cruisers and RAMs.
Fast forward to today and – wow – how things have changed.
THE RISE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR
Before we even start to talk about the shock of the war in Iran, just look back to 2022 when EVs represented 3.1 per cent of new car sales. That may not sound like a lot, but in that year, the Tesla Model 3 sedan outsold the Toyota Camry.
Since then, according to RoadGenius, the sales of electric vehicles in Australia have risen steadily, with significant increases in the years 2022 to 2025 …
2022: 38,900 EVs sold;
2023: 98,409 EVs sold, a 157 per cent increase from the previous year;
2024: 114,283 EVs sold, a 16.1 per cent increase compared to 2023; and
2025: 156,857 electrified vehicles sold, including 103,355 BEVs and 53,502 PHEVs.
There is a market out there just waiting for Aussie manufacturers to cater for if they are willing to develop the right products.
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