Australian made electric cargo vehicle set to be unveiled in Sydney

The Driven

The first all-electric vehicle assembled entirely in Australia will be officially launched next week in Sydney, bringing Australia a step closer to a home-grown electric vehicle industry to replace the fossil fuel car industry that closed a few years ago.

The completed delivery van is the brainchild of CEO Gregory McGarvie and will be revealed to the Australian public at the Smart Energy Expo in Sydney next Tuesday. It is the first prototype assembled here out of the Australian Clean Energy Electric Vehicle (ACE-EV) group’s four planned electric vehicles.

Assembled by a team of local and international engineers and technicians, the vehicle took its first test drive after the Carmageddon event held by the Motor Traders Association of Queensland last week.

Evolved from an initial venture begun with fellow ACE-EV founder Will Qiang called Get Green, ACE-EV’s mission is to create a “smart, clever, quick, and replicable [electric vehicle] industry,” says McGarvie.

A partnership with Dr Charles Kung, previously chief engineer for Taiwan’s high speed train, and Gerhard Kurr, formerly of German Binz, makers of ambulances and hearses, fast-tracked the design of a lightweight carbon-fibre reinforced plastic monocoque that is at the core of ACE-EV vehicles.

The 3.9 metre long Cargo, as it is known, can carry payloads of half a tonne and has the potential to lower fleet greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent and running costs by 85 per cent, according to data provided by ACE-EV.

Read the full story on RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle-dedicated site, The Driven…