Guide to Transport Data

Introduction

Transport data on OnlyFacts is presented in two ways:

• As part of the national greenhouse gas accounts, where transport is one sector contributing to national emissions.
• In its own vertical, which covers vehicles and fuel use in more detail.

The dedicated vertical focuses on vehicle sales, registrations, and fuel consumption. Together, these datasets show how transport patterns are shifting over time.

A key area of focus is the global transition away from internal combustion engines (ICE) towards electric vehicles (EVs).

Why Transport Data Matters

Understanding transport means looking at both supply and demand:

Vehicle sales show what people are choosing to buy now, signalling how the fleet is changing.

Vehicle registrations show what is on the road and give the clearest picture of the active fleet.

Fuel consumption shows how much petrol and diesel is being used. It is one of the most up-to-date indicators of activity on the roads, and a leading signal of pollution that will be reported later.

Glossary: Vehicle Types Explained

OnlyFacts classifies vehicles into five main groups:

1. Petrol (Gasoline) Vehicles / ICE: Conventional cars powered solely by petrol.
2. Diesel Vehicles: Engines that run on diesel. Common for utes, trucks, and buses.
3. Hybrid Vehicles: Petrol engine with a small battery and motor. The battery recharges from the engine, not a plug.
4. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs): Fully electric, powered only by a battery. No petrol engine. On OnlyFacts, BEV is the default meaning of EV.
5. Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs): Petrol engine with a larger battery that can be recharged from an outlet. Capable of short trips in electric-only mode.

Important: What ‘EV’ Means Depends on the Data

Different data providers use the term ‘EV’ in different ways:

• Global data (via International Energy Agency (IEA)): EV = BEVs + PHEVs combined. Does not include fuel cell vehicles.
• Australian sales data (via Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI)): EV = BEV only. PHEVs are listed separately.
• Australian registrations data (via Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE)): EV = BEV only. PHEVs are grouped into the hybrid category.

On OnlyFacts, unless specified otherwise, EV refers to BEVs.

Local Registration Data

Local vehicle registration data reflects where vehicles are garaged.

According to the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE), if the garaging postcode is not available, the registered postcode is used instead.

OnlyFacts prioritises the garaging postcode over the registration postcode.

Still, it’s useful to note that state and territory vehicle registrations do not always align with postcode registrations. This is because registration postcodes relate to the vehicle owner, not necessarily the jurisdiction in which the vehicle is registered. For example, a vehicle may have a registered postcode in NSW but be registered in Queensland.

There are further caveats:

• Some official postcodes (such as PO boxes, large volume receivers, and specialist delivery postcodes) do not correspond to residential areas.
• A small share of registered postcodes cannot be matched to official Australian postcodes (e.g. incomplete, invalid, or overseas entries). All invalid postcodes are recorded as ‘UNKN’ (Unknown).

Read more via BITRE here.