As Australians grapple with rising fuel prices, drivers have begun to seriously consider switching to an EV – if they haven't done so already.
New electric car sales surged in March – representing a 14.6 per cent share of all new cars registered in the month – nearly double the share of the same period in 2025, Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and Electric Vehicle Council data shows.
Used-EV sales also boomed, doubling in the month to March 2026, according to the Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA).
But what about the car enthusiasts who just can't part with their '60s classic? Are they jumping on the EV train too?
Turns out, yes. As reported by Drive in early April, Melbourne-based Jaunt Motors has converted 20 classic cars from ICE to EV since 2021, and interest is ramping up. The team have 17 more conversions underway.
Starting at $200,000, the process isn't cheap, but that didn't put off a large number of Drive readers who answered our survey.
A whopping 45 per cent of the 1943 respondents said they would convert a classic to an EV to preserve it for the next generation.
The next most popular response was that they would not convert because it would ruin the car's authenticity and value, with 30 per cent, while just 25 per cent of the respondents said they would not convert a classic because it was too expensive.
Though that, of course, shows more respondents said no, those who said they would convert were most active in the comments on Drive's original story.
"There will be others who will enter this industry – if there aren't already. That will ensure the price comes down over time. I applaud this company for taking the massive risk and navigating the tech and regulatory barriers – which are considerable," one reader commented.
"For everyone [who] complains about ruining a good old car. Take a look around and see how many old ICE Minis and Land Rovers you actually see driving around, and think again about how many old cars you see rusting away on rural properties. Jaunt is future-proofing the best parts of these cars that always had underpowered engines that make them un-drivable in modern road conditions, and making them daily drivers where everyone can see and admire some auto history," wrote another.
Those who came down in the 'no' camp were more succinct in their commentary, and despite fewer survey responses citing the expense as an issue, the comment section indicated otherwise.
"$200,000 plus a car – a good Mini isn't cheap to start with. Think I would stick the original Mini or whatever car it is," one reader commented.
"$200K? Yikes," succinctly wrote another.
Whether you're in a position to spend that amount of money or not, it's clear the growing interest in EVs is not going away, and as one commenter mentioned, without the sort of innovation done by Jaunt Motors, many old cars will eventually cease to be driven at all.
They wrote that though the price seems "steep", it must take a lot of care "to be able to convert a genuine classic and make it look like it's still the real deal and able to be driven indefinitely in the future, regardless of whatever goes down with future fuels".
"If we don't start protecting a few more of the classic bodies, they aren't gonna survive."
Jemimah is Drive's Consumer Editor. She has more than a decade of editorial experience and has previously worked in property and lifestyle journalism for Domain, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and REA Group, among many other publications.
