EV

With around 16 battery-based virtual-power-plant projects either in progress or planned across six states, Australia is demonstrating the potential of distributed energy resources to the world. An Australian Clean Energy Summit panel last week caught up on progress and potholes on the road to energy’s new two-way street.

With miners around globe stepping up their production capacities to cater to the demand of the electro-mobility and energy storage sectors, supply has outpaced demand leading to a steep decline in lithium prices. Amid slowing growth in China, a number of Australian lithium miners are hurting.

The UK is leaping ahead in its deployment of electric-vehicle charge infrastructure. Box Energi has chosen Australia’s Tritium Veefil-RT technology to double refill sites around the UK, boosting not only charge accessibility and driving range, but confidence in emissions-free commuting and touring.

Hyundai has unveiled its new hybrid, the Hyundai Sonata, complete with integrated solar cells. The Sonata’s unveiling joins Toyota and Lightyear in integrating solar PV wth EVs.

A report published by New Zealand’s state-owned transmission grid operator Transpower finds the widespread uptake of distributed battery storage could play an important role in supporting the power system as rooftop PV and electric vehicles are increasingly adopted.

Toyota has announced plans to begin public road trials this month on a new Prius PHV demo car modified to include integrated solar panels. The announcement follows similar recent solar innovations in the EV industry which could accelerate the emerging form of transport.

Chargefox, Australia’s only public ultra-rapid EV charging network, has demonstrated its rapid growth by opening the most powerful EV charging station in the Southern Hemisphere. At the same time it announced its partnership with Yurika and the Queensland Government to manage the 17 fast charging sites that make up the Queensland Electric Super Highway.

Evie Networks, largely funded by coal baron Trevor St Baker’s St Baker Energy Innovation Fund to the tune of $28 million, has announced its partnership with U.S. software company EV Connect to help systematise Evie’s proposed ultra-fast highway charging network. The network could enable affordable EV options to pick up speed in Australia. 

Not quite to infinity, but certainly to long-range, and beyond. Former Dutch competitor in Australia’s World Solar Challenge, Lightyear has launched the world’s first long-range solar EV prototype, a potential solution to the perennial EV problem of range anxiety.

The City of Adelaide is going big on technology for low-carbon living. It has announced a new round of incentives for solar, bidirectional EV charging infrastructure, energy storage and controlled load under its Sustainability Incentives Scheme.