Electric Vehicles

Transcript

Hi!

In today's Smarter Energy episode, we'll be road testing some of the latest electric vehicles. We'll look at some of the options available in Queensland as well as the pros and cons to driving an electric powered car.

It's hard to spot an electric car on our roads today. For one thing there aren't many of them. But that is all about to change.

I'm with Don MacPhail from Ergon who pretty much knows everything there is to know about EV's.

Don, what's driven the slow uptake of electric vehicles in Australia considering the high petrol prices?

Yeah, so currently electric vehicles are a bit more expensive than petrol vehicles are, then they also have a smaller driving range as well.

Is that changing?

Yeah, there's a number of exciting things happening. So there’s starting to be more options available, more features in the vehicle, the lower running costs, lower to maintain and they're more environmentally friendly as well.

So, say I wanted to buy one for myself. What different options would I have?

So there's three different types of options. There's hybrid electric vehicles which run on petrol and electric which is charged by the braking system. The second option is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, again petrol and electric but you also get the ability to plug in, charge it up and, you know get more range out of that battery and it's actually an option that Ergon’s now incorporating into our fleet. The third option is the battery electric vehicle which is fully electric so no petrol engine, no fuel tank, no exhaust pipe. Plug it in charge it up and fully electric.

So what's the absolute best thing about having an EV then?

Just in general, there's a number of features the vehicles themselves include. The lower maintenance costs, lower running costs, the fact that they're more environmentally friendly, so the lower emissions are about two-thirds less emissions than the normal petrol vehicle, and generally just a nice car to drive.

And is there a downside?

Yeah, so they are a little bit more expensive currently and you do get that shorter driving range and you do have to wait that little bit longer for a vehicle to charge up. But all those sort of things are getting better.

Alright, well look, I've given this one a test drive already. I kind of like it. Do you mind if I keep this one?

Yeah, it's not mine so you can have it.

Awesome! Thank you very much Don!

Cheers, thanks!

We can expect the purchase price of EVs to be close to or cheaper than petrol vehicles within a few short years. When that happens EV sales are expected to grow dramatically.

Transcript

Welcome to Smarter Energy's guide to charging electric vehicles.

With more car manufacturers releasing their version of an electric vehicle, their popularity is on the rise. If you're considering an electric vehicle you're probably wondering about a few things, like how do you charge them, where do you charge them and what does it cost to charge them?

EVs can be charged at home or work from a standard electrical power point or by installing a fast charge unit. Right now, fully charging your EV from a power point is usually done overnight.

Public charging stations will become more widely available in the near future and can fully charge vehicles in only 30 minutes. So, what will you need to recharge your EV at home?

Whether you use a standard power point or install a fast charging station, your home wiring will need to be checked by a licensed electrical contractor to ensure it can handle the extra load.

Charging an EV can draw as much electricity as an average home's peak load so it's important to check that your property has sufficient electricity supply.

The costs involved with installing a 15 amp plug or putting in a dedicated advanced EV outlet can vary widely. Your EV dealership may offer a free home assessment when you purchase an EV.

Of course, you can save a lot by charging your EV on an economy or off-peak tariff. If you're out and about, public charging station costs will vary with each provider. Some places will provide charging for free while you shop or eat at their store.

Others, like council sites could be based on a normal parking fee structure and some will charge a fixed amount for a charge, particularly in the case of faster charging stations.

As the popularity of EVs grow the cost of EVs and availability of charging stations will only improve.