EVs

The main cost of an electric vehicle is its battery. The high cost of energy-dense batteries has meant EVs have long been more expensive than their fossil fuel equivalents. But this could change faster than we thought.

Mining and energy major Fortescue says the performance of an electric excavator operating at its Cloudbreak mine site in Western Australia’s is continuing to improve but is at times already performing better than its diesel equivalent.

Australian electric vehicles could earn up to $12,000 in a single year using vehicle-to-grid technology to provide frequency regulation services to the National Electricity Market according to a report published by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.

Australia’s peak solar body is urging its members and the renewable energy community to support robust emissions standards for new cars. The federal government released a consultation paper on the new standards today and has provided one month for public submissions.

A team of researchers in the United States have developed a new lithium metal battery that can be charged and discharged at least 6,000 times — more than any other pouch battery cell — and can be recharged in a matter of minutes.

Electric vehicle sales have surged in Australia with data from the nation’s peak motoring body showing that battery electric vehicles accounted for more than 7% of total new light vehicle sales in Australia in 2023, with more than 87,000 purchased.

Belgian Solar Team Innoptus has claimed back-to-back Bridgestone World Solar Challenge titles, beating home dozens of competitors from around the world to win the 3,000 kilometre race through Australia’s outback.

The solar-powered Stella Terra test car from The Netherlands’ Eindhoven University has just completed a 1,000 kilometre test drive from northern Morocco to the Sahara. In Australia, the solar car racing team from the University of New South Wales says the real challenge is to find new ways to push the boundaries of solar car races.

Queensland Pacific Metals has upgraded the focus of its finance strategy as it works towards a final investment decision for the $2.1 billion (USD 1.35 billion) fully approved battery materials project being developed near Townsville in northern Queensland.

The Australian Energy Market Commission has declared regulatory reform is required to maximise the benefits of the “record amounts” of household energy devices including rooftop solar systems and small-scale batteries that are connecting to the power grid.