VW’s Cupra runneth over as electric vehicle sales accelerate

VW’s Cupra Born has arrived in Australia as more consumers jump on the EV wagon. The brand’s director explains its strategy to reach customers.

Volkswagen Group’s EV Cupra Born arrives in Australia.​

More Australians are jumping on the EV wagon, with sales rising rapidly, up 780 per cent in the first two months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. EV sales are now almost level with hybrid vehicles, (10,784 versus 10,852).

As Volkswagen Group-owned Cupra’s latest EV model, Cupra Born, arrives in Australia, the brand’s director Ben Wilks shares the company’s strategy with The Growth Agenda.

Ben Wilks, director of Cupra.

What do you make of the allocation of $7.4m in the federal budget to fuel efficiency standards to encourage the uptake of EVs? What does it mean for Cupra, and the EV category more broadly?

There’s continuing momentum in the right direction to promote the further uptake of EVs, whether at a federal level or in the various states. Cupra has shown our commitment at a global level to EV with the Born and the recent reveal of the 100 per cent EV
SUV, the Cupra Tavascan. Our customer demand is high for EVs in general thanks to the steps already taken; the emerging topic of fuel efficiency standards handled appropriately should further encourage conversion to EV and give further confidence to those making infrastructure access even easier. Investment in this process in the budget is the right move. The next step is to ensure clear actions so that customers can make an informed choice about the suitability of EV for them.

A year since launching in the market, what are your brand strategy priorities now?

Australia is highly significant for Cupra as a highly demanding market outside of our traditional base in Europe and South America.

At the core of our brand is an appeal to those who enjoy great design and the fun of driving. Whether that’s with ICE, PHEV or BEV, we have vehicles in each of those configurations. Key to each of those and the brand moving forward is Cupra’s passion for design and driving, whatever the method of propulsion.

How educated are customers about your product?

Our first customers are highly passionate – about Cupra and about cars and driving in general. So, they are typically quite well informed and we try to match that to our teams in Cupra Garages with a focus towards enthusiastic participation with our brand. We’ve tried to stay connected to our owners’ groups forming around the country. We’ve seen people take the option for our PHEV vehicles when they need to combine electrified driving on a regular basis when commuting with longer touring drives. And we’ve seen people gravitate towards our newest 100 per cent, EV primarily because we are offering something different with a focus on design and being fun to drive, as well as a range beyond 500km.

Is the digital space for transactions where your marketing efforts are focused, or is there equal attention on the Cupra Garage location?

Our Cupra Garages are an essential part of the equation – but we have the option for customers to conduct a part of their transaction online, depending on their personal requirements. Overwhelmingly, and in line with our expectations, our customers still enjoy an environment in which to experience the design and quality of a new Cupra. Facilitating this experience is the job of our specialists at Cupra Garages around the country.

How are sales tracking and how many vehicles are available in the market?

From an overall point of view, Cupra has delivered in Australia around 2000 vehicles and taken around 3000 orders. The new Cupra Born is close to 600 orders and we are really pleased with that response and looking forward to already delivering the first cars.

What do you think the future holds for EV uptake in Australia?

The continued arrival of product that excites and inspires, like the new Cupra Born, like the Tavascan SUV coming, and the future product beyond. It will continue to inspire EV uptake. A pragmatic approach to legislation around fuel efficiency will see Australia in the same position as other advanced markets and helping to drive a transformation towards a more sustainable vehicle fleet.