The energy market operator has cut its expectations for the take-up of electric vehicles by one-third over the next decade as more motorists turn to hybrid cars, with the sluggish growth taking pressure off the power grid.

The estimate is contained in the Australian Energy Market Operator’s forecasts for electricity supply and demand over the next decade. The operator, which oversees the grid, said it expected 4.5 million electric vehicles by 2034, consuming about 11 TWh. That’s down from the seven million estimate it made in December.