Hamilton's Ian Wilcox to tow caravan with Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle, proving Prime Minister Scott Morrison wrong

"It costs next to nothing to run," Mr Wilcox said.

This weekend, he'll use the vehicle to tow a caravan to Myall Lakes and Gloucester.

In doing so, he aims to prove Prime Minister Scott Morrison wrong.

Mr Morrison said in 2019 that an electric vehicle "won't tow your trailer, it's not going to tow your boat and it's not going to get you out to your favourite camping spot with your family".

The Prime Minister also accused then Labor leader Bill Shorten of wanting to "end the weekend" with his support for electric vehicles.

Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Behyad Jafari said people were now "thinking twice about going on their family holiday because of the high cost of petrol".

Mr Jafari said interest in electric vehicles was rising, particularly with the pain of higher petrol prices.

He said the price hike highlighted that oil came from "pretty hazardous places around the world".

"This is a problem for us and the answer is staring us in the face. It's about getting more people into electric vehicles."

Mr Wilcox travels a lot through the Hunter Valley for his job.

"Generally it costs me $5 to $7 a week to charge for about 350 kilometres," he said.

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

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.

"The tech has got better. Just like your phone gets updates, so does your car. 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 described his own vehicle as "brilliant". He said it charged "directly from the solar system", referring to the electricity generated from solar panels on his roof.

The car produced much less noise and vibration than previous cars he owned.

The Tesla's gears move only in forward and reverse.

"For someone who doesn't like driving, there's less effort needed," he said.

"My wife Heidi didn't like driving much, but now she always wants to because it's so good and so much fun.

"It doesn't even require the work of an automatic. You put your foot down and just go."

Heidi had to borrow a petrol car last weekend, which left her thinking "petrol stations are filthy and disgusting".

One of the Tesla's safety benefits is its speed.

"You can get out of the way of everyone. My car does 0-100 in 5.9 seconds," Mr Wilcox said.

Sales of plug-in electric vehicles tripled in Australia from 6900 in 2020 to 20,665 in 2021. Electric vehicles account for 2 per cent market share of new cars, up from 0.78 per cent in 2020.

The Tesla Model 3 was the biggest seller, with 12,094 vehicles sold last year.

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 per cent of the cars they sell are electric. We need to make electric vehicles more accessible to Australians."

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

"You're not standing there holding the charger. You're going to a gym or cafe," Mr Wilcox said.

The popularity of electric vehicles meant charging stations were increasingly busy, but this is expected to lead to more being installed.

Mr Wilcox charged his Tesla on Friday at the charging station at No 2 Sportsground at Cooks Hill.

"There's a nice community when you're at a charging station," he said.

"We give each other tips and work out what's going on with electric vehicles and the best way to do things."

The lack of charging stations has been cited as an impediment to buying an electric car, but Mr Wilcox said Newcastle and the Hunter were blessed with numerous charging stations.

"I travel all over the Hunter without any issue."

The NSW 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.

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