This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jul/27/queensland-to-build-one-of-worlds-longest-electric-vehicle-highways
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Queensland to build one of the world's longest electric vehicle highways | Queensland to build one of the world's longest electric vehicle highways |
| (21 days later) | |
| The route, which will span 2,000km from Cairns to Coolangatta and west to Toowoomba, within six months will offer drivers 18 free recharging stations | The route, which will span 2,000km from Cairns to Coolangatta and west to Toowoomba, within six months will offer drivers 18 free recharging stations |
| Joshua Robertson | Joshua Robertson |
| Thu 27 Jul 2017 06.48 BST | Thu 27 Jul 2017 06.48 BST |
| Last modified on Wed 14 Feb 2018 17.00 GMT | |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| View more sharing options | View more sharing options |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on Google+ | Share on Google+ |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Close | Close |
| Queensland will have a 2,000km network of electric vehicle charging stations that make up one of the world’s longest electric vehicle highways within six months. | Queensland will have a 2,000km network of electric vehicle charging stations that make up one of the world’s longest electric vehicle highways within six months. |
| The state government announced on Thursday it would build an 18-station network stretching along Queensland’s east coast from Cairns to Coolangatta and west to Toowoomba. | The state government announced on Thursday it would build an 18-station network stretching along Queensland’s east coast from Cairns to Coolangatta and west to Toowoomba. |
| The stations, which recharge a vehicle in 30 minutes, will offer free power for at least a year in what the environment minister, Steven Miles, said was a bid to boost the number of electric cars on Queensland roads, currently about 700. | The stations, which recharge a vehicle in 30 minutes, will offer free power for at least a year in what the environment minister, Steven Miles, said was a bid to boost the number of electric cars on Queensland roads, currently about 700. |
| “This project is ambitious, but we want as many people as possible on board the electric vehicle revolution, as part of our transition to a low-emissions future,” Miles said. | “This project is ambitious, but we want as many people as possible on board the electric vehicle revolution, as part of our transition to a low-emissions future,” Miles said. |
| The $3m network had “the potential to revolutionise the way we travel around Queensland in the future”, he said. | The $3m network had “the potential to revolutionise the way we travel around Queensland in the future”, he said. |
| Queensland’s “electric highway” will span a comparable distance to the “west coast electric highway” in the US, which runs from California to Oregon and Washington state. However it is dwarfed by the Trans-Canada EV highway, which, at about 8,000km, is the world’s longest. | Queensland’s “electric highway” will span a comparable distance to the “west coast electric highway” in the US, which runs from California to Oregon and Washington state. However it is dwarfed by the Trans-Canada EV highway, which, at about 8,000km, is the world’s longest. |
| But the US in total now boasts 16,107 stations and 43,828 charging outlets, according to the US Department of Energy. Tesla drivers can reputedly make journeys of 20,000 km. | But the US in total now boasts 16,107 stations and 43,828 charging outlets, according to the US Department of Energy. Tesla drivers can reputedly make journeys of 20,000 km. |
| The Queensland stations, which will range from the capital Brisbane to the small sugar town of Tully, would be powered with “green energy” bought through renewable energy credits or offsets. | The Queensland stations, which will range from the capital Brisbane to the small sugar town of Tully, would be powered with “green energy” bought through renewable energy credits or offsets. |
| Miles said a state household energy survey showed half of Queenslanders would consider “an electric vehicle, plug-in hybrid or regenerative braking hybrid” when buying a new car in the next two years. | Miles said a state household energy survey showed half of Queenslanders would consider “an electric vehicle, plug-in hybrid or regenerative braking hybrid” when buying a new car in the next two years. |
| While lower prices and longer-lasting batteries were driving global uptake, most in the survey said “improvements to public fast-charging infrastructure would further tempt them into purchasing an EV”, Miles said. | While lower prices and longer-lasting batteries were driving global uptake, most in the survey said “improvements to public fast-charging infrastructure would further tempt them into purchasing an EV”, Miles said. |
| Car executives from Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes Benz and Mitsubishi lined up to praise the move and called on other states to follow. | Car executives from Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes Benz and Mitsubishi lined up to praise the move and called on other states to follow. |
| The Audi Australia managing director, Paul Sansom, said electric car drivers travelling “the vast distances in between our capital cities … need to have confidence that they will be able to find a charging station when they need it, even if they’re driving in an unfamiliar region”. | The Audi Australia managing director, Paul Sansom, said electric car drivers travelling “the vast distances in between our capital cities … need to have confidence that they will be able to find a charging station when they need it, even if they’re driving in an unfamiliar region”. |
| “This is the current expectation around frequency of petrol stations, and it’s, rightly, what consumers will demand as EVs become more prevalent.” | “This is the current expectation around frequency of petrol stations, and it’s, rightly, what consumers will demand as EVs become more prevalent.” |
| Behyad Jafari, the chief executive of the Electric Vehicle Council, said the state government had shown “national leadership” with “a signal to the market that Queensland is serious about electric vehicles”. | Behyad Jafari, the chief executive of the Electric Vehicle Council, said the state government had shown “national leadership” with “a signal to the market that Queensland is serious about electric vehicles”. |
| This gave the industry “certainty to unlock investment to grow our economy and create new, high skilled jobs”, he said. | This gave the industry “certainty to unlock investment to grow our economy and create new, high skilled jobs”, he said. |
| “I encourage all governments across Australia to follow suit, particularly as this support will help to provide motorists with increased choice of cars that are cheaper and healthier to operate.” | “I encourage all governments across Australia to follow suit, particularly as this support will help to provide motorists with increased choice of cars that are cheaper and healthier to operate.” |
| Queensland is Australia’s biggest carbon polluter, with the transport sector making up the state’s second largest source of carbon emissions with 21.1m tonnes in 2014, having almost doubled since 1990. | Queensland is Australia’s biggest carbon polluter, with the transport sector making up the state’s second largest source of carbon emissions with 21.1m tonnes in 2014, having almost doubled since 1990. |
| Passenger cars make up almost half of transport emissions, according to the state environment department. | Passenger cars make up almost half of transport emissions, according to the state environment department. |
| The $3m contract to build the network has been awarded to Brisbane technology company Tritium, which began as a solar car racing parts manufacturer. | The $3m contract to build the network has been awarded to Brisbane technology company Tritium, which began as a solar car racing parts manufacturer. |
| Australia news | Australia news |
| Queensland | Queensland |
| Queensland politics | Queensland politics |
| Greenhouse gas emissions | Greenhouse gas emissions |
| Travel and transport | Travel and transport |
| Climate change | Climate change |
| news | news |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on Google+ | Share on Google+ |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |