EV

Since the launch of its first DC fast charger in 2014 Australian company Tritium has become a leading global supplier of EV refuelling infrastructure, with installations in more than 29 countries, a growing range of user-friendly small-footprint units and around 15% of the global market for 50kW fast chargers alone. Jane Hunter is proud to lead this poster child for Australia’s new advanced-manufacturing-led prosperity.

In the absence of a national carbon-emissions target and a long-awaited EV policy, Origin and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (on behalf of the Australian Government) are forging ahead with research that will show how coordinated smart-charging of an eventual surge of EV battery storage will benefit consumers and the grid.

With the disruption of Covid-19 highlighting the climatic impact of the aviation industry, a recent report from the CSIRO funded by Boeing shows that hydrogen fuel’s technological momentum could see clean hydrogen used in airports by as early as 2025, and a full transition from conventional jet fuel by 2050.

It was a series of firsts, including a profitable full year and Megapack turning a profit that factored into CEO Elon Musk explaining that he has “never been more optimistic or excited about the future of Tesla.” Austin is confirmed as the site of the next Gigafactory.

The New Zealand Government is quickly turning the antipodean rivalry over climate legislation and renewable energy integration into a veritable Bledisloe Cup. This is to say that for Australia the situation is now plain embarrassing. Today, NZ’s Climate Change Minister James Shaw announced six new projects to receive funding as part of its clean-powered public service fund.

ARENA is putting $2.4 million into a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) trial in the ACT, which is looking to demonstrate the ability of EVs to provide grid ancillary services. The consortium of research and industry project proponents hope to show how EVs can help regulate grid function and provide a revenue stream for electric-fleet owners.

Every crisis is a crossroads, and Australia is certainly at a crossroads. This week, a host of climate, development and investment leaders are backing Beyond Zero Emission’s green scaffolded Million Jobs Plan of Covid-19 economic recovery.

A new report from IDTechEx shows Australian cities to be on the money and with the citizen-care zeitgeist in transitioning city bus fleets to electric. Despite a slow start to quiet, zero tail-pipe emissions public transport, Australian bus manufacturers are set to take advantage of chassis and battery tech developed in China.

Tritium today provided some plain and simple stats on how electric-vehicle drivers around the world are using its fast-chargers. Get a glimpse of your future life, beyond an EV-policy-poor Australia, when cars don’t exhaust and finding a charging station is effortless.

Under a new plan to stabilize its grid, the South Australian State Government is providing $10 million to upgrade its voltage management and giving the green light to the Australian Energy Market Operator to stop its rooftop solar from feeding in when needed. The plan also highlights the importance “smart” PV and stronger network interconnection, primarily the new SA-NSW line a.k.a. Project EnergyConnect.