Electric vehicle charging networks rolled out across WA, Qld

Williams Woolshed

More than 70 electric vehicle charge points are set to be installed throughout rural and remote Western Australia, as the state’s largest retailer prepares for a not-too distant future where EVs are “ubiquitous” on the nation’s roads.

The initiative, a team effort by Synergy and the WA branch of the Australian Electric Vehicle Association, is installing three-phase charge points in towns and roadhouses on all major roads in the south and east of the state, as well as some remote locations in the north.

Williams Woolshed
Williams Woolshed

It follows the launch, on Monday this week, of the first of many fast-charging electric vehicle stations being rolled out along the Queensland coast, to form the State’s Electric Super Highway.

The superhighway – which is expected be the world’s longest electric vehicle superhighway in one state, extending from the Gold Coast to the Far North – is being funded by the state Labor government, as part of an effort to facilitate increased uptake of electric vehicles in Queensland.

State energy minister Mark Bailey said on Monday that the fast-charging stations would also be available for use by EV drivers at no cost for the initial phase of the super highway.

In WA, the government-owned retailer’s joint venture with WA AEVA is being described as a simple initiative, but with a wide-reaching impact.

“Electric vehicles will be ubiquitous before you know it, so this is just one way Synergy is helping lead West Australians to a more intelligent energy future” said Synergy spokesman Glen Elliot in comments on Thursday.

Indeed, the initiative is already well underway, with individuals arranging for sockets to be installed at key locations ahead of a long trip, and most towns keen to be involved.

“The industrial three-phase socket has become the sort of ‘bush standard’ for charging on long road trips” said AEVA member and Tesla Model S owner.

“I can add about 100 km of range for every hour of charge from one of these sockets.”

For local businesses who opt to host a charge point, there are benefits too, giving EV drivers and their families extra incentive to make a stop.

“It’s been really positive for the business. Drivers will usually stop for 45 minutes or more so the car can charge while you have lunch and relax,” said Ryan Duff, who along with business partner Simon Maylor installed three EV charge points at their Albany Highway business, Williams Woolshed earlier this year.

And according the the AEVA, the program won’t just stop at the WA border – the Association has also teamed up with the Tesla Owners Club of Australia (TOCA) nationally to ensure a series of EV charge points stretch right around the country, with the route expected to be complete before the end of the year.

For more information about the AEVA/Synergy socket installation program, contact the AEVA on [email protected].

Comments

13 responses to “Electric vehicle charging networks rolled out across WA, Qld”

  1. GlennM Avatar
    GlennM

    Brilliant,
    sometimes Aussies are just fantastic, do not wait for a fancy level three charger…just put in a bog standard 3 phase plug….

    1. Willagmahaney Avatar
      Willagmahaney

      before I saw the draft which said $4937 , I didnt believe …that…my best friend was like they say really bringing home money part-time from there labWage. . there friends cousin has done this for only 7 months and by now took care of the mortgage on their apartment and bought a great Audi Quattro . visit http://GlobalFinancialJobsCash33WagePlanetGetPay$97Hour §§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§..

  2. Robert Comerford Avatar
    Robert Comerford

    Good move, a simple way to help with charging until real fast chargers are as ubiquitous as petrol stations.
    Which vehicles sold here come with a means of plugging into a 3 phase outlet, which do not?
    Lack of a single charging standard does nothing for helping acceptance of battery electric vehicles however.

    1. My_Oath Avatar
      My_Oath

      All they need is an adaptor and the vehicle manufacturer/retailer should surely be jumping over everything to make sure their customers are able to get one.

      1. Brunel Avatar
        Brunel

        Adaptors can do to hell.

        Even Google and Apple agree on USB C!

        Car factories should agree on a truly global 300 kW plug.

    2. Brunel Avatar
      Brunel

      Yep. I think ChaDeMo for motorcycles and a global 500 kW plug for buses and a global 250 kW plug for cars.

    3. Miles Harding Avatar
      Miles Harding

      Essentially all of them can use a 3phase outlet, some better than others.

      The outlets are all 5 pin, so there is a neutral, which allows a 240VAC GPO to be split for the minimum. A leaf can then charge at 15 amps.

      Teslas are quicker, but are not true 3 phase on the input. This may change in the future, but it’s a function of the strange domestic power arrangement in the USA.

      Eurpoean vehicles, such as the Zoe have high capacity 3phase charging built in.

      A several hundred dollar adaptor is required.

  3. Brunel Avatar
    Brunel

    If it is free to use now but pay to use after 2 years, people will complain like the taxi industry does about Uber.

    Look how hard it is to wind back negative gearing.

    It should be pay to use from the beginning.

    1. Miles Harding Avatar
      Miles Harding

      These aren’t free to use now.
      Part of the work the AEVA as done is to negotiate an equitable rate with the socket owners so that it’s worth their while installing a socket. The goodwill and trade is a bonus.

      A thirsty Tesla can drink more than $20 of electricity, so this is essential.

      Free charging is available at home, where your own solar panels can be used.

      1. dogphlap dogphlap Avatar
        dogphlap dogphlap

        While I don’t mind paying a reasonable cost (say double the cost a resident would incur for a similar amount of grid energy) for seldom used sockets this could be more expensive than just giving the energy away (Coff’s Harbour Showground makes a nominal charge for use of their 32A three phase sockets which works really well and the town benefits because what are you going to do for an hour but spend money (the infrastructure is already in place anyway)). Free electricity will help promote tourism but a complex system for payment will discourage it and be costly to implement.

        1. Miles Harding Avatar
          Miles Harding

          Like any free lunch, the hordes will descend.

          Any of the actual charge units are 3G enabled and easy to bill via, as they identify the vehicle and meter the energy. This is already in place and very easy to expand.
          In WA, the introduction of the billing system reduced the patronage on the fast chargers dramatically, down to only those the need them.

          3Phase sockets are very much an interim measure that allow charging to be enabled with minimum time and outlay. These are generally privately owned and not individually metered. The usual arrangement is to contact the owner then the plug in and charge. The payment is calculated via the vehicle instruments and a cash transation done to settle. The income insures the novelty doesn’t wear off quickly.

    2. Ian Avatar
      Ian

      Taxi owners were required to buy a licence which cost many thousands of dollars. This revenue was used by the government. Uber came along and set up their business with government blessing but paid no licence fee. The protection racket that the government imposed on local taxi licence holders was not applied to a foreign ‘taxi’ company.

      Negative gearing has enabled ordinary citizens to save for their retirements and at the same time has allowed growth in the economy leveraging the wealth of the population. It has also allowed rent to be less than the interest paid on loans for any given property.

      If you want the uptake of electric cars to occur, you are going to have to subsidise the first movers. Norway is a leader in EV uptake purely because they have gone out of their way to promote this technology through numerous benefits and subsidies. What seems like upper and middle class welfare turns out to benefit the little person in the end.

      1. Brunel Avatar
        Brunel

        Look at the pharmacy racket. A new pharmacy is not allowed to be built within 1.5 km of an existing pharmacy!

        I doubt the same applies to optometrists.

        It is very hard to wind back handouts in AUS as long as the political parties are funded by the private sector rather than the ATO and AEC. Andrew Wilkie could not get pokies reform. Brickworks gave money to Abbott to rant against the carbon price.

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