If you’re thinking about buying an electric vehicle, whether due to soaring fuel prices or to lower your greenhouse gas emissions, where you live can make a huge difference to how climate-friendly your car is.

New research reveals having an electric vehicle would mean less emissions than a fossil-fuelled car – but the extent to which electric vehicles can lower emissions varies in each state. Much depends on how much electricity is generated from renewable sources, such as solar, wind and hydro.

Australia-wide, the study found electric vehicles emit, on average, 29-41% less emissions than a typical fossil-fuelled car for every kilometre driven. But when you break it down into states, Tasmania is expected to see the largest drop, with 70-77% less emissions per kilometre.

This information is important for meeting climate targets, because Australia’s on-road fleet is different from the more commonly assessed fleets in the United States, Europe or Asia in terms of vehicle size, fuel type, emission standards and fuel quality.

Australia’s electric vehicle uptake​

Australia won’t meet its climate target of net-zero emissions by 2050 without an overhaul of transport, as the sector accounts for around 17% of national emissions. Passenger cars alone account for around half of all our transport emissions.

Rising petrol prices might just be the incentive we need to swing public sentiment towards electric vehicles in Australia, which have a lower climate footprint.

A new Tesla Gigafactory for electric cars in Gruenheide, Germany, which aims to produce 500,000 vehicles a year. AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File​

Thanks to a range of financial incentives, Canberrans led Austalia in the number of electric vehicles bought per capita. Motorists bought 825 new electric vehicles last year, accounting for over 5% of all vehicle sales in the territory.

Queensland, too, may see a surge in uptake, as last month the Palaszczuk Government announced a A$55 million electric vehicle package, which includes a $3,000 incentive to buy a car and $10 million for new charging infrastructure.

Comparing car emissions per kilometre​

To compare the potential for emissions reduction in each state, Transport Energy/Emission Research (TER) conducted a so-called “life cycle assessment”. This considers all aspects of a vehicle’s life – from production, to operational use (driving it), to when it gets scrapped.

Life cycle assessments are a holistic way of looking at emissions but, confusingly, some studies have reached different conclusions. So TER combined a life cycle assessment with a probabilistic analysis, presenting our findings as a range of possible, but realistic, outcomes.

The average carbon emissions for a fossil-fuelled Australian car are an estimated 349-390 grams per kilometre. This is made up of approximately:

• 72% for operational use
• 13% for vehicle manufacture
• 14% for fossil fuel production and distribution.

A typical Australian fossil-fuelled car emits up to 390 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre. Shutterstock​

An average battery electric car, on the other hand, is estimated to have life cycle emissions around 221-255 grams per kilometre. This is made up of approximately:

• 69% for operational use
• 23% for vehicle manufacture
• 7% for electricity production and distribution.

Infrastructure and vehicle disposal (scrappage) is estimated to have less than 1% contribution for both vehicle types.

These estimates are higher than what has been reported in European studies, reflecting Australia’s unique conditions, including high carbon intensity from coal-based electricity generation, and different fleet characteristics such as having heavier and larger cars than Europe.

Comparing each jurisdiction​

The good news is, in all Australian jurisdictions, emissions released from the beginning to the end of the electric vehicle’s life are expected to be significantly less than for fossil-fuelled cars. Each, however, varies in the extent emissions will be reduced.

The largest emissions reductions will occur in Tasmania, as its electricity largely comes from renewable sources: more than 80% comes from hydroelectricity and about 10% comes from wind.

South Australia comes in second, with electric vehicles bringing 55-66% less emissions per kilometre, compared to fossil-fuelled cars. This is because a significant portion of SA’s electricity comes from wind (about 40%) and solar (more than 10%).

Source: Transport Energy/Emission Research​

At the other end of the spectrum, most electricity generation in Victoria and New South Wales currently comes from coal-fired power stations.

And still, electric vehicle uptake is expected to see substantial reductions: around 9-31% in Victoria, and 17-39% in NSW. These values will improve as the electricity generation system is further decarbonised.

Squandering our potential​

Australia has a huge potential for a renewables industry, thanks to our wide open spaces, windy coasts and sunny skies.

So TER also looked at a future scenario, where the national electricity mix is generated with about 10% fossil fuels and 90% renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro, biomass). In this scenario, electric vehicles nationwide are expected to provide between 74% and 80% emissions reductions.

Sadly, Australia is still far removed from this situation. Most cars sold in 2020 were large fossil-fuelled SUVs with high greenhouse gas emissions because of their size and weight.

Fossil fuel-guzzling SUVs were the most popular car sold in Australia in 2020. Shutterstock​

In just two years, electric vehicle sales have tripled from 6,900 in 2020 to 20,665 in 2021. And yet, they still account for only 2% of market share in new cars.

This is a far cry from the rest of the world, where 6.6 million electric vehicles were sold globally last year. Over half were in China alone.

What’s more, fleet turnover is a slow process. The Australian Motor Vehicle Census reports that the average age of Australian cars is about ten years, with an average attrition rate of only about 4% each year.

This means even if all passenger vehicles sold today were electric, it would take more than ten years for the Australian road fleet to be fully electric.

Efforts to boost the share of electric vehicles in the Australian fleet needs to be stepped up urgently, alongside a rapid decarbonisation of the electricity grid.

These should, finally, align with international emission standards to reduce delays and increase choice and availability of electric vehicles in Australia.

This will ensure we’ll have at least made a significant start with emission reductions in the road transport sector by 2030.

If Australia was serious about reducing emissions – fast – rolling out electric vehicles could perhaps focus on states with the lowest carbon intensity. But given the slow fleet turnover and the current state of play, it’s essential electrification starts everywhere, now.

This article was first published on The Conversation, and was written by Robin Smit, Adjunct Associate Professor from University of Technology Sydney and Hussein Dia, Professor of Future Urban Mobility from Swinburne University of Technology.

 

[Jennie]

If you’re thinking about buying an electric vehicle, whether due to soaring fuel prices or to lower your greenhouse gas emissions, where you live can make a huge difference to how climate-friendly your car is.

New research reveals having an electric vehicle would mean less emissions than a fossil-fuelled car – but the extent to which electric vehicles can lower emissions varies in each state. Much depends on how much electricity is generated from renewable sources, such as solar, wind and hydro.

Australia-wide, the study found electric vehicles emit, on average, 29-41% less emissions than a typical fossil-fuelled car for every kilometre driven. But when you break it down into states, Tasmania is expected to see the largest drop, with 70-77% less emissions per kilometre.

This information is important for meeting climate targets, because Australia’s on-road fleet is different from the more commonly assessed fleets in the United States, Europe or Asia in terms of vehicle size, fuel type, emission standards and fuel quality.

Australia’s electric vehicle uptake​

Australia won’t meet its climate target of net-zero emissions by 2050 without an overhaul of transport, as the sector accounts for around 17% of national emissions. Passenger cars alone account for around half of all our transport emissions.

Rising petrol prices might just be the incentive we need to swing public sentiment towards electric vehicles in Australia, which have a lower climate footprint.

View attachment 6427
A new Tesla Gigafactory for electric cars in Gruenheide, Germany, which aims to produce 500,000 vehicles a year. AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File​

Thanks to a range of financial incentives, Canberrans led Austalia in the number of electric vehicles bought per capita. Motorists bought 825 new electric vehicles last year, accounting for over 5% of all vehicle sales in the territory.

Queensland, too, may see a surge in uptake, as last month the Palaszczuk Government announced a A$55 million electric vehicle package, which includes a $3,000 incentive to buy a car and $10 million for new charging infrastructure.

Comparing car emissions per kilometre​

To compare the potential for emissions reduction in each state, Transport Energy/Emission Research (TER) conducted a so-called “life cycle assessment”. This considers all aspects of a vehicle’s life – from production, to operational use (driving it), to when it gets scrapped.

Life cycle assessments are a holistic way of looking at emissions but, confusingly, some studies have reached different conclusions. So TER combined a life cycle assessment with a probabilistic analysis, presenting our findings as a range of possible, but realistic, outcomes.

The average carbon emissions for a fossil-fuelled Australian car are an estimated 349-390 grams per kilometre. This is made up of approximately:

• 72% for operational use
• 13% for vehicle manufacture
• 14% for fossil fuel production and distribution.

View attachment 6428
A typical Australian fossil-fuelled car emits up to 390 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre. Shutterstock​

An average battery electric car, on the other hand, is estimated to have life cycle emissions around 221-255 grams per kilometre. This is made up of approximately:

• 69% for operational use
• 23% for vehicle manufacture
• 7% for electricity production and distribution.

Infrastructure and vehicle disposal (scrappage) is estimated to have less than 1% contribution for both vehicle types.

These estimates are higher than what has been reported in European studies, reflecting Australia’s unique conditions, including high carbon intensity from coal-based electricity generation, and different fleet characteristics such as having heavier and larger cars than Europe.

Comparing each jurisdiction​

The good news is, in all Australian jurisdictions, emissions released from the beginning to the end of the electric vehicle’s life are expected to be significantly less than for fossil-fuelled cars. Each, however, varies in the extent emissions will be reduced.

The largest emissions reductions will occur in Tasmania, as its electricity largely comes from renewable sources: more than 80% comes from hydroelectricity and about 10% comes from wind.

South Australia comes in second, with electric vehicles bringing 55-66% less emissions per kilometre, compared to fossil-fuelled cars. This is because a significant portion of SA’s electricity comes from wind (about 40%) and solar (more than 10%).

View attachment 6429
Source: Transport Energy/Emission Research​

At the other end of the spectrum, most electricity generation in Victoria and New South Wales currently comes from coal-fired power stations.

And still, electric vehicle uptake is expected to see substantial reductions: around 9-31% in Victoria, and 17-39% in NSW. These values will improve as the electricity generation system is further decarbonised.

Squandering our potential​

Australia has a huge potential for a renewables industry, thanks to our wide open spaces, windy coasts and sunny skies.

So TER also looked at a future scenario, where the national electricity mix is generated with about 10% fossil fuels and 90% renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro, biomass). In this scenario, electric vehicles nationwide are expected to provide between 74% and 80% emissions reductions.

Sadly, Australia is still far removed from this situation. Most cars sold in 2020 were large fossil-fuelled SUVs with high greenhouse gas emissions because of their size and weight.

View attachment 6430
Fossil fuel-guzzling SUVs were the most popular car sold in Australia in 2020. Shutterstock​

In just two years, electric vehicle sales have tripled from 6,900 in 2020 to 20,665 in 2021. And yet, they still account for only 2% of market share in new cars.

This is a far cry from the rest of the world, where 6.6 million electric vehicles were sold globally last year. Over half were in China alone.

What’s more, fleet turnover is a slow process. The Australian Motor Vehicle Census reports that the average age of Australian cars is about ten years, with an average attrition rate of only about 4% each year.

This means even if all passenger vehicles sold today were electric, it would take more than ten years for the Australian road fleet to be fully electric.

Efforts to boost the share of electric vehicles in the Australian fleet needs to be stepped up urgently, alongside a rapid decarbonisation of the electricity grid.

These should, finally, align with international emission standards to reduce delays and increase choice and availability of electric vehicles in Australia.

This will ensure we’ll have at least made a significant start with emission reductions in the road transport sector by 2030.

If Australia was serious about reducing emissions – fast – rolling out electric vehicles could perhaps focus on states with the lowest carbon intensity. But given the slow fleet turnover and the current state of play, it’s essential electrification starts everywhere, now.

This article was first published on The Conversation, and was written by Robin Smit, Adjunct Associate Professor from University of Technology Sydney and Hussein Dia, Professor of Future Urban Mobility from Swinburne University of Technology.

Nothing hss been said about the pollution caused in the manufacturing of these cars. The batteries are not usually replaceable and are not recyclable. There are nasty minerals used in the batteries as well. In an accident the clean up is not as easy as with a petrol car. There is talk of power shortages in the near future, how will we power these cars if the majority of people have one.

 

[Mark1]

Nothing hss been said about the pollution caused in the manufacturing of these cars. The batteries are not usually replaceable and are not recyclable. There are nasty minerals used in the batteries as well. In an accident the clean up is not as easy as with a petrol car. There is talk of power shortages in the near future, how will we power these cars if the majority of people have one.

Yes, just sick of the constant indoctrination about how good electric cars are, but no one tells the full story.

 

[mOiOz]

If you’re thinking about buying an electric vehicle, whether due to soaring fuel prices or to lower your greenhouse gas emissions, where you live can make a huge difference to how climate-friendly your car is.

New research reveals having an electric vehicle would mean less emissions than a fossil-fuelled car – but the extent to which electric vehicles can lower emissions varies in each state. Much depends on how much electricity is generated from renewable sources, such as solar, wind and hydro.

Australia-wide, the study found electric vehicles emit, on average, 29-41% less emissions than a typical fossil-fuelled car for every kilometre driven. But when you break it down into states, Tasmania is expected to see the largest drop, with 70-77% less emissions per kilometre.

This information is important for meeting climate targets, because Australia’s on-road fleet is different from the more commonly assessed fleets in the United States, Europe or Asia in terms of vehicle size, fuel type, emission standards and fuel quality.

Australia’s electric vehicle uptake​

Australia won’t meet its climate target of net-zero emissions by 2050 without an overhaul of transport, as the sector accounts for around 17% of national emissions. Passenger cars alone account for around half of all our transport emissions.

Rising petrol prices might just be the incentive we need to swing public sentiment towards electric vehicles in Australia, which have a lower climate footprint.

View attachment 6427
A new Tesla Gigafactory for electric cars in Gruenheide, Germany, which aims to produce 500,000 vehicles a year. AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File​

Thanks to a range of financial incentives, Canberrans led Austalia in the number of electric vehicles bought per capita. Motorists bought 825 new electric vehicles last year, accounting for over 5% of all vehicle sales in the territory.

Queensland, too, may see a surge in uptake, as last month the Palaszczuk Government announced a A$55 million electric vehicle package, which includes a $3,000 incentive to buy a car and $10 million for new charging infrastructure.

Comparing car emissions per kilometre​

To compare the potential for emissions reduction in each state, Transport Energy/Emission Research (TER) conducted a so-called “life cycle assessment”. This considers all aspects of a vehicle’s life – from production, to operational use (driving it), to when it gets scrapped.

Life cycle assessments are a holistic way of looking at emissions but, confusingly, some studies have reached different conclusions. So TER combined a life cycle assessment with a probabilistic analysis, presenting our findings as a range of possible, but realistic, outcomes.

The average carbon emissions for a fossil-fuelled Australian car are an estimated 349-390 grams per kilometre. This is made up of approximately:

• 72% for operational use
• 13% for vehicle manufacture
• 14% for fossil fuel production and distribution.

View attachment 6428
A typical Australian fossil-fuelled car emits up to 390 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre. Shutterstock​

An average battery electric car, on the other hand, is estimated to have life cycle emissions around 221-255 grams per kilometre. This is made up of approximately:

• 69% for operational use
• 23% for vehicle manufacture
• 7% for electricity production and distribution.

Infrastructure and vehicle disposal (scrappage) is estimated to have less than 1% contribution for both vehicle types.

These estimates are higher than what has been reported in European studies, reflecting Australia’s unique conditions, including high carbon intensity from coal-based electricity generation, and different fleet characteristics such as having heavier and larger cars than Europe.

Comparing each jurisdiction​

The good news is, in all Australian jurisdictions, emissions released from the beginning to the end of the electric vehicle’s life are expected to be significantly less than for fossil-fuelled cars. Each, however, varies in the extent emissions will be reduced.

The largest emissions reductions will occur in Tasmania, as its electricity largely comes from renewable sources: more than 80% comes from hydroelectricity and about 10% comes from wind.

South Australia comes in second, with electric vehicles bringing 55-66% less emissions per kilometre, compared to fossil-fuelled cars. This is because a significant portion of SA’s electricity comes from wind (about 40%) and solar (more than 10%).

View attachment 6429
Source: Transport Energy/Emission Research​

At the other end of the spectrum, most electricity generation in Victoria and New South Wales currently comes from coal-fired power stations.

And still, electric vehicle uptake is expected to see substantial reductions: around 9-31% in Victoria, and 17-39% in NSW. These values will improve as the electricity generation system is further decarbonised.

Squandering our potential​

Australia has a huge potential for a renewables industry, thanks to our wide open spaces, windy coasts and sunny skies.

So TER also looked at a future scenario, where the national electricity mix is generated with about 10% fossil fuels and 90% renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro, biomass). In this scenario, electric vehicles nationwide are expected to provide between 74% and 80% emissions reductions.

Sadly, Australia is still far removed from this situation. Most cars sold in 2020 were large fossil-fuelled SUVs with high greenhouse gas emissions because of their size and weight.

View attachment 6430
Fossil fuel-guzzling SUVs were the most popular car sold in Australia in 2020. Shutterstock​

In just two years, electric vehicle sales have tripled from 6,900 in 2020 to 20,665 in 2021. And yet, they still account for only 2% of market share in new cars.

This is a far cry from the rest of the world, where 6.6 million electric vehicles were sold globally last year. Over half were in China alone.

What’s more, fleet turnover is a slow process. The Australian Motor Vehicle Census reports that the average age of Australian cars is about ten years, with an average attrition rate of only about 4% each year.

This means even if all passenger vehicles sold today were electric, it would take more than ten years for the Australian road fleet to be fully electric.

Efforts to boost the share of electric vehicles in the Australian fleet needs to be stepped up urgently, alongside a rapid decarbonisation of the electricity grid.

These should, finally, align with international emission standards to reduce delays and increase choice and availability of electric vehicles in Australia.

This will ensure we’ll have at least made a significant start with emission reductions in the road transport sector by 2030.

If Australia was serious about reducing emissions – fast – rolling out electric vehicles could perhaps focus on states with the lowest carbon intensity. But given the slow fleet turnover and the current state of play, it’s essential electrification starts everywhere, now.

This article was first published on The Conversation, and was written by Robin Smit, Adjunct Associate Professor from University of Technology Sydney and Hussein Dia, Professor of Future Urban Mobility from Swinburne University of Technology.

If you’re thinking about buying an electric vehicle, whether due to soaring fuel prices or to lower your greenhouse gas emissions, where you live can make a huge difference to how climate-friendly your car is.

New research reveals having an electric vehicle would mean less emissions than a fossil-fuelled car – but the extent to which electric vehicles can lower emissions varies in each state. Much depends on how much electricity is generated from renewable sources, such as solar, wind and hydro.

Australia-wide, the study found electric vehicles emit, on average, 29-41% less emissions than a typical fossil-fuelled car for every kilometre driven. But when you break it down into states, Tasmania is expected to see the largest drop, with 70-77% less emissions per kilometre.

This information is important for meeting climate targets, because Australia’s on-road fleet is different from the more commonly assessed fleets in the United States, Europe or Asia in terms of vehicle size, fuel type, emission standards and fuel quality.

Australia’s electric vehicle uptake​

Australia won’t meet its climate target of net-zero emissions by 2050 without an overhaul of transport, as the sector accounts for around 17% of national emissions. Passenger cars alone account for around half of all our transport emissions.

Rising petrol prices might just be the incentive we need to swing public sentiment towards electric vehicles in Australia, which have a lower climate footprint.

View attachment 6427
A new Tesla Gigafactory for electric cars in Gruenheide, Germany, which aims to produce 500,000 vehicles a year. AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File​

Thanks to a range of financial incentives, Canberrans led Austalia in the number of electric vehicles bought per capita. Motorists bought 825 new electric vehicles last year, accounting for over 5% of all vehicle sales in the territory.

Queensland, too, may see a surge in uptake, as last month the Palaszczuk Government announced a A$55 million electric vehicle package, which includes a $3,000 incentive to buy a car and $10 million for new charging infrastructure.

Comparing car emissions per kilometre​

To compare the potential for emissions reduction in each state, Transport Energy/Emission Research (TER) conducted a so-called “life cycle assessment”. This considers all aspects of a vehicle’s life – from production, to operational use (driving it), to when it gets scrapped.

Life cycle assessments are a holistic way of looking at emissions but, confusingly, some studies have reached different conclusions. So TER combined a life cycle assessment with a probabilistic analysis, presenting our findings as a range of possible, but realistic, outcomes.

The average carbon emissions for a fossil-fuelled Australian car are an estimated 349-390 grams per kilometre. This is made up of approximately:

• 72% for operational use
• 13% for vehicle manufacture
• 14% for fossil fuel production and distribution.

View attachment 6428
A typical Australian fossil-fuelled car emits up to 390 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre. Shutterstock​

An average battery electric car, on the other hand, is estimated to have life cycle emissions around 221-255 grams per kilometre. This is made up of approximately:

• 69% for operational use
• 23% for vehicle manufacture
• 7% for electricity production and distribution.

Infrastructure and vehicle disposal (scrappage) is estimated to have less than 1% contribution for both vehicle types.

These estimates are higher than what has been reported in European studies, reflecting Australia’s unique conditions, including high carbon intensity from coal-based electricity generation, and different fleet characteristics such as having heavier and larger cars than Europe.

Comparing each jurisdiction​

The good news is, in all Australian jurisdictions, emissions released from the beginning to the end of the electric vehicle’s life are expected to be significantly less than for fossil-fuelled cars. Each, however, varies in the extent emissions will be reduced.

The largest emissions reductions will occur in Tasmania, as its electricity largely comes from renewable sources: more than 80% comes from hydroelectricity and about 10% comes from wind.

South Australia comes in second, with electric vehicles bringing 55-66% less emissions per kilometre, compared to fossil-fuelled cars. This is because a significant portion of SA’s electricity comes from wind (about 40%) and solar (more than 10%).

View attachment 6429
Source: Transport Energy/Emission Research​

At the other end of the spectrum, most electricity generation in Victoria and New South Wales currently comes from coal-fired power stations.

And still, electric vehicle uptake is expected to see substantial reductions: around 9-31% in Victoria, and 17-39% in NSW. These values will improve as the electricity generation system is further decarbonised.

Squandering our potential​

Australia has a huge potential for a renewables industry, thanks to our wide open spaces, windy coasts and sunny skies.

So TER also looked at a future scenario, where the national electricity mix is generated with about 10% fossil fuels and 90% renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro, biomass). In this scenario, electric vehicles nationwide are expected to provide between 74% and 80% emissions reductions.

Sadly, Australia is still far removed from this situation. Most cars sold in 2020 were large fossil-fuelled SUVs with high greenhouse gas emissions because of their size and weight.

View attachment 6430
Fossil fuel-guzzling SUVs were the most popular car sold in Australia in 2020. Shutterstock​

In just two years, electric vehicle sales have tripled from 6,900 in 2020 to 20,665 in 2021. And yet, they still account for only 2% of market share in new cars.

This is a far cry from the rest of the world, where 6.6 million electric vehicles were sold globally last year. Over half were in China alone.

What’s more, fleet turnover is a slow process. The Australian Motor Vehicle Census reports that the average age of Australian cars is about ten years, with an average attrition rate of only about 4% each year.

This means even if all passenger vehicles sold today were electric, it would take more than ten years for the Australian road fleet to be fully electric.

Efforts to boost the share of electric vehicles in the Australian fleet needs to be stepped up urgently, alongside a rapid decarbonisation of the electricity grid.

These should, finally, align with international emission standards to reduce delays and increase choice and availability of electric vehicles in Australia.

This will ensure we’ll have at least made a significant start with emission reductions in the road transport sector by 2030.

If Australia was serious about reducing emissions – fast – rolling out electric vehicles could perhaps focus on states with the lowest carbon intensity. But given the slow fleet turnover and the current state of play, it’s essential electrification starts everywhere, now.

This article was first published on The Conversation, and was written by Robin Smit, Adjunct Associate Professor from University of Technology Sydney and Hussein Dia, Professor of Future Urban Mobility from Swinburne University of Technology.

 

[Grumpypa]

There are supposed to be plans for the mining of Lithium, Cadmium, plus other compounds in Queensland that no one will talk about. These elements are used in the construction of electric cars. The extraction of these compounds are nothing short of environmental rape. All of the fuel fossil cars run
at the same time could not exceed the damage they will do mining these compounds!

 

[Gsr]

Electric cars are not affordable for the majority of Australians. There are nowhere near enough charging stations to keep them running, and yes with looming power shortages it will be interesting to see them all parked up along the roads out of charge. No good ringing the NRMA, don’t think they will have a spare electricity supply in their vans. Also how are they going to cope in heavy rains and if they have to drive through water? I think we are going to need fossil fuels and petrol cars for many years yet.

 

[Greatgwr]

Well its good to see the nay sayers are in early making sure the negative argument is aired. I have recently purchased a Plug in Hybrid EV. Unfortunately due to the total lack of intelligence shown by the previous climate denying Government we are 10 years behind where we should be, so the infrastructure to effectively use a fully electric vehicle is not in place yet. That being said the dollar savings I am making using a Hybrid Vehicle are far exceeding my expectations. I charge my vehicle on the solar system whenever possible which means the only cost is the forfeiture of the feed in tariff that I will not receive because I am using that power for the car, the total cost /100km to charge in this way is $2.40 compared with the cost of fuel @approximately $1.90/liter and fuel economy of 9 liters/100km totaling $17.10 /100km I doesn't take an accountant to see the potential for extensive savings. Even if I charge at night the total cost/100km is still much less at $6.40/100km. There is no doubt that there are significant reductions in emissions as I rarely use fuel, that is good for the enviroment however there is a good case to be made for the economic savings.

 

[Cavador2001]

They won't start selling until every house in Australia has a charging station.

 

[Greatgwr]

They won't start selling until every house in Australia has a charging station.

You Don't need a charging station, I charge mine with a 10amp plug and every house in Australia has several them so no problem.

 

[ElleHenry]

Hi, I just came across your old post and wanted to share my 2 cents in case someone here still needs help with a similar issue. As for your garage consumer unit, changing the RCD type might cause issues with other circuits, so that might not be the best idea. It's a good idea to choose a charger that limits its current or has different fault/shorting protection, but you'll still need to make sure the cable can handle the load. Btw, you could also check out carbonclick for some solutions. Putting another consumer unit in the house to send a non-RCD-protected supply to the garage might work, but you'll need to figure out how to protect the internal non-armored cable. Running a new cable might be the best option, even though it's a bit of a hassle. Let me know how it came out.

 

[Greatgwr]

Hi, I just came across your old post and wanted to share my 2 cents in case someone here still needs help with a similar issue. As for your garage consumer unit, changing the RCD type might cause issues with other circuits, so that might not be the best idea. It's a good idea to choose a charger that limits its current or has different fault/shorting protection, but you'll still need to make sure the cable can handle the load.

Thanks I did have the 10 amp outlet installed by a licensed electrician to a location next to the car so the leads would as short as possible this is recommended by the car manufacturer.