EV

The Australian EV passenger fleet may be just a twinkle in the eye of green futurists, but Brisbane-based Tritium, a leader in fast-charging technology, is also rolling out its R&D, manufacturing and enabling infrastructure across more advanced markets in Europe and the US. After posting a more than $47 million loss in 2019, CEO, David Finn talks about Tritium’s outlook for 2020 and beyond.

As the energy landscape continues to evolve to meet the needs of the 21st century, digitalization is growing within generation, distribution and transmission. On the demand management side, Amber Electric is seeking to bring transparency to the market, passing wholesale prices directly to consumers for a $10 flat monthly fee. The Melbourne-based start-up is readying to expand its offering in 2020, as home batteries, EV chargers and other smart devices establish a firmer hold in the Australian electricity market, says Dan Adams, co-founder of Amber Electric.

With its app already present in Belgium and the Netherlands, start-up Jedlix is introducing smart charging in France. The solution enables Tesla drivers to optimize their charging strategy.

Scientists from Penn State University have developed a self-heating battery for electric vehicles which is said charge in only 10 minutes at 60 degrees Celsius.

Queensland gets its first 100% electric delivery vehicle as Ikea’s newest form of transport hit the road.

A global study has found that Australia lacks interest in EVs, a finding due largely to the impedimental admixture of cost, range anxiety and lack of charging options.

Under the business-as-usual scenario, Western Australia could use up its Paris-Agreement 1.5°C compatible carbon budget within 12 years but a massive ramping up of renewable energy capacity would unlock significant economic opportunities for the state, finds a report by Berlin-based science and policy institute Climate Analytics.

Tesla’s new electric ute, the Cybertruck, may not be the most beautiful of vehicles, but that doesn’t seem to have cost it any attention. The unveiling almost broke the Internet, and a couple windows really did break in the process.

With the number of electric vehicles on Australian roads probably just scraping 6,000, Infrastructure Partners Australia says now is the perfect time to apply a road-use charge to EVs, to ensure all drivers are pulling their weight and the quality of Australian roads can be maintained.

The Australia Institute’s National Energy Emissions Audit revealed the disheartening news that growth in diesel consumption, mainly in road transport, has negated gains made in carbon emissions reduction achieved in the NEM. But one Australian automotive-engineering firm has plans to transform the light-to-medium-duty diesel-slurping vehicle sector to run cleanly and quietly on electricity.