$2m funding for driverless electric vehicle prototype

Australia's renewable energy advocate is investing $2 million to help commercialise a Melbourne-based company's solar-powered, driverless electric vehicle designed for passenger transport and commercial applications.

Applied Electric Vehicles prototype of a solar-powered,
driverless electric vehicle which is designed for
passenger transport and commercial applications.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency's (ARENA) funding announcement follows news of the federal government's $350 million clean energy research initiative, which will develop a national strategy to integrate electric vehicle charging stations into the electricity grid.

Read the story from The Age by Mike Foley - “$2m funding for driverless electric vehicle prototype.”

(Such stories bring both joy and despair - joy because it exemplifies the wonderful inventive nature of people; despair, as it illustrates we have not yet broken free from the idea of privately owned vehicles dependent on a publicly provided road network. 

Rather than going deeper into the rabbit hole of “more of the same” we should be breaking free of the market, profit-driven system and putting forward ideas that are about people and truly public system, but maybe this is where it starts - Robert McLean)

Australia company unveils all new electric vehicle for mining industry

The makers of an electric vehicle designed specifically for the mining industry will launch the new product this month at Queensland’s Department of Main Roads Mt Cotton Training Centre.

It's electric and designed for the mining industry.

The heavy-duty Bortana EV, which has been developed by Australian mining safety product company Safescape, in collaboration with NSW-based 3ME Technology and the METS Ignited Project, will be unveiled in Brisbane on May 24, following the 2019 Austmine Conference.

A comparatively “light” vehicle (compared to the heavy loaders and massive trucks typical of Australia’s mining industry), the Bortana is considered a game-changing electric vehicle (EV) for the industry.

It will have a 150km range, with a 50kWh battery, 135kW output motor and 320Nm torque, and has the potential to significantly reduce the industry’s energy usage and vehicle emissions.

Read the story from The Driven by Bridie Schmidt - “Australia company unveils all new electric vehicle for mining industry.”

Power up at Euroa station

Euroa is the location of Australia’s first ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging station, which opened last week.

Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio opened the site that will form part of a network with sites to be installed at Barnawartha North, followed by Melbourne, Ballarat, Horsham, Torquay and Traralgon.

The ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging station opened at Euroa. 

Creators Chargefox said the sites would be powered by the world’s first solar, battery storage and 350 kW charging combinations, dramatically reducing charging time for drivers.

Ms D’Ambrosio said the station was capable of delivering up to 400 km of range in just 15 minutes.

‘‘More Victorians will be driving electric vehicles in the future, that’s why we're building the infrastructure to be ready to meet this demand,’’ Ms D’Ambrosio said.

‘‘Uptake of electric vehicles will help us reduce emissions and to tackle climate change.’’

Car manufacturers Audi, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz have committed to using the charging network, which resulted in an Audi e-tron prototype appearing at the announcement, almost a year before the Australian launch of the production model.

Live demonstrations of how the charging stations interact with a range of optimised and hybrid electric vehicles were also shown at the announcement.

The unveiling comes after Chargefox received $1 million from the Victorian Government to develop the Euroa and Barnawartha North sites. Chargefox matched the funding to build the stations.

The government announced a further $2 million to continue installing the stations following an initial combined $15 million in funding from investors including The Australian Mobility Clubs, Wilson Transformers and the founder of Carsales, Greg Roebuck, and grants from Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the Victorian Government.

The ultra-rapid charging station is located at the Service Centre off the Hume Hwy at Euroa.

Story from The Shepparton News - “Power up at Euroa station.”

BP moves into electric vehicles market with Chargemaster acquisition

BP has announced its purchase of the UK’s largest electric vehicle charging company.

BP has bought Chargemaster.

The oil giant has entering into the agreement with Chargemaster, which operates over 6,500 charging points across the UK. The company will now be rebranded to BP Chargemaster and become a wholly owned BP brand.

The news is expected to scale-up the availability of electric charging points with BP planning to invest in ultra-fast charging infrastructure across the existing network and its own 1,200 service stations. This will include the 150 kilowatt chargers which can enable 100 miles of range in only 10 minutes of charging.

Read the Climate Action story - “BP moves into electric vehicles market with Chargemaster acquisition.”

Road trip 2046: Journeys in Melbourne's driverless electric car future

It’s 2046 and you own a driverless, electric vehicle.

A video about future scenarios for automated
 and zero emissions vehicles and the appropriate
 infrastructure in Victoria. Vision courtesy
Infrastructure Victoria.

The air is clean. The road death toll is at its lowest.

But traffic has worsened. And there may not be enough charging stations to go around.

As Victoria joins the global march towards autonomous zero-emissions vehicles, the government will soon have to come up with sound policy and legislation to enable a smooth roll-out.

Read the story by Timna Jacks from The Age - “Road trip 2046: Journeys in Melbourne's driverless electric car future.”

Jaguar gears for electric sports car with big spend on city chargers

Jaguar plans to invest millions of dollars in electric vehicle charging stations ahead of the launch of its electric vehicle range in Australia.

Jaguar's first electric vehicle, the I-PACE will hit Australian shores later this year.

The vehicle manufacturer is planning to launch its fully electric sports car, the I-Pace, and two hybrid land rovers in September and October, and will invest between $3 million and $4 million building electric vehicle charging stations for the new vehicles ahead of their release.

Jaguar Land Rover Australia managing director Matthew Wiesner said it would begin building the infrastructure to support the electric vehicles in the coming weeks.

“This is a real first for us,” Mr Wiesner told Fairfax Media.

Read Cole Latimer’s story in The Age - “Jaguar gears for electric sports car with big spend on city chargers.”

Barnaby Joyce rejects petrol car sales ban amid Coalition debate on electric vehicles

Transport Minister Barnaby Joyce has quashed the prospect of Australia replicating overseas bans on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, as the Turnbull government debates whether to encourage the electric vehicle industry.

Barnaby Joyce: ''Australia's transport policies
are modelled on Australia's needs."

Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg this week strongly backed the prospects of electric vehicles in Australia against opposition from conservative backbenchers. He told Sky News on Tuesday that critics who ridiculed the technology would "probably be the ones buying them in a decade's time".

Read Nicole Hasham’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Barnaby Joyce rejects petrol car sales ban amid Coalition debate on electric vehicles.”

Why electric cars have hit a dead end in Australia

Fancy having your road tolls, parking charges and registration charges waived?

Why have electric cars hit a dead end in Australia? 

Head to Norway, where reducing your carbon footprint through the purchase of an electric vehicle will score you such benefits.

Or stay in Australia, buy a clean-energy vehicle, and look forward to high import duties, stamp duty, a luxury car tax, and a dearth of charging stations putting you at risk of conking out mid-drive.

Australia has been labelled a "laggard" in the global move toward electric vehicles by progressive think-tank Australia Institute.

Read the story by Timna Jacks in today’s Melbourne Age - “Why electric cars have hit a dead end in Australia.”

India to make every single car electric by 2030 in bid to tackle pollution that kills millions

Every car sold in India will be powered by electricity by the year 2030, according to plans unveiled by the country’s energy minister. 

Delhi is India's most polluted city, according to Greenpeace,
 with concentrations of particulate matter 13 times the
limit set by the World Health Organisation 

The move is intended to lower the cost of importing fuel and lower costs for running vehicles.

“We are going to introduce electric vehicles in a very big way," coal and mines minister Piyush Goyal said at the Confederation of Indian Industry Annual Session 2017 in New Delhi.

Comparing the drive to a 2015 initiative in the country to reduce energy bills by promoting LED lightbulbs, he told reporters: "We are going to make electric vehicles self-sufficient... The idea is that by 2030, not a single petrol or diesel car should be sold in the country.”

Read Harriet Agerholm’s story in the Independent - “India to make every single car electric by 2030 in bid to tackle pollution that kills millions.”