Rockhampton MP Bill Byrne, Minister Mark Bailey and Cr Drew Wickerson. Image: Queensland government
Following a series of trials, the Queensland government has presented an electric vehicle to Rockhampton Regional Council to further promote the uptake of the emerging technology in the region.
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV, a popular choice among local and state governments acting on taking up the electric vehicle implementation, was among a small fleet of electric vehicles that energy provider Ergon Energy used in a series of trials in previous years.
According to the state government, the vehicle will be decked out in a distinctive new ‘skin’ highlighting the advantages of electric vehicles, and will be easy to spot as council staff regularly drive it around the district.
Queensland Minister for Energy Mark Bailey said electric vehicles would play an important role in reducing carbon dioxide emissions in Queensland and worldwide.
“If you charge an EV from a solar PV system or another renewable energy source, not only do you reduce your recharge costs, but there are no carbon dioxide emissions,” Mr Bailey said.
According to Mr Bailey, charging an EV from mains power reduces both emissions and cost – especially on an off-peak tariff, and is considerably cheaper than filling a standard car from the petrol bowser.
Mr Bailey said one of the main concerns motorists had about EVs was range anxiety, which ‘was particularly understandable in regional Queensland’.
“This compact i-MiEV has a range of about 100km on a full charge, so it is more suited for regular short trips within a city than for family use on the highway,” he said.
“But newer, larger EVs have a much greater range and will progressively be able to access fast-charging points in major centres and along highways.
“Ergon has mapped its network for potential EV charging station sites from Toowoomba to Cairns, bringing the electric car super highway a step closer.
“About 100 sites with surplus network capacity have been identified and Ergon is speaking with companies which provide EV charging station infrastructure.”
Mr Bailey said the i-Mievs had been invaluable for the trials, but had now served their purpose and he was pleased a new role for this vehicle had been identified with the Rockhampton council.
“Ergon trials have shown EVs present a great opportunity for the network if they are charged at times when there is spare capacity,” he said.
“We encourage EV drivers to charge their cars on off-peak tariffs to reduce their costs and also to avoid contributing to peak demand.”
Councillor Drew Wickerson said Rockhampton Regional Council was delighted to accept Ergon’s offer to take over the vehicle.
“Council is always looking for opportunities to reduce costs and enhance the environment, so having access to this EV will give us a chance to assess what role they can play in our fleet in future,” he said.
“It also aligns with our goal to be a Smart Regional City as we begin to introduce a range of smart technologies and foster innovation in our Region.”
