EV

AGL Energy has been remarkably busy in recent months trying to make itself look like a giant ship on the turn in the energy transition and not the Ever Given cargo ship stuck in the old sands of time. Now, AGL has announced plans to partition itself into two separate businesses which it says will provide them with the freedom to pursue their own agendas, but not everyone is convinced.

Just days after Australia’s first ever hydrogen vehicle refuelling station opened in Canberra, Toyota’s former manufacturing site in West Melbourne became home to the second ‘future fuel’ station.

A new type of carbon fibre and electrolyte matrix stunned scientists when they tested its properties. Their ‘structural’ battery could be used in electric vehicles and could even address the weight problems that bedevil devices planned for electric-powered flight.

Delivered by Neoen and ActewAGL, Australia’s first hydrogen vehicle refuelling station today opened in Canberra, catering to the state government’s new fleet of Hyundai Nexo hydrogen cars.

The recharging station was designed by French automation group Sirea. It is powered by a solar carport and a small electrolyser.

Australia’s first renewables brokering service, Teho, aims to tie together the disparate industry threads of solar, batteries, EVs and renewable energy retailers and simplify the path towards renewables for everyday people. Pv magazine Australia spoke to the two brothers behind the business, Jonathan and David Green (yes, that really is their surname), about the gap in the market they seek to tap.

Melbourne-based company SEA Electric has launched Australia’s first locally-assembled electric truck range, offering a range of emissions-free transport configurations.

The first fully Australian designed and built electric bus has been rolled out for a two-week trial in Sydney as the New South Wales State Government pushes ahead with its plan to convert its entire bus fleet to electric by 2030.

Battery capacity in the distributed and large-scale sectors continues to grow, according the annual reckoning of the SunWiz oracle. Although still a complex proposition, for homeowners, battery potential is beginning to be utilised in the hundreds of megawatts by governments and utilities, with some interesting side hustles in the mid-sized energy-storage category.

The Victorian Government’s push to impose a tax on electric vehicles (EV) is accelerating despite a Federal Government MP warning this week that the uptake of EVs in Australia is too slow, and the industry needs to be supported.