Far away from big cities, people living in remote Australia can sometimes struggle with basic energy security, let alone installing a fast charger for an electric car.
"In other parts, for example, where we're going to be building there is actually no power there at all."Experts, such as Scott Dwyer from the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney, reiterate the challenges for charging an entire car battery in the bush."So this is really going to call for special types of charging concepts."
"What we're trying to do is implement a much faster charger that's running off as much clean energy as possible.The Mackay-based company will install its prototype in a tiny Northern Territory town called Erldunda, along the Stuart Highway — one of the country's longest roads — this month. Mr Murray usually stops at it to "top up" his car for an hour while having brunch and a coffee before finishing his drive to Yulara.
Horizon Power's idea piggybacks off existing infrastructure that it has installed in remote locations, also with solar panels and backup diesel generators. The NRMA has just started making Australians pay to use its branded chargers, as it rolls out more of them across the country.He believes that EV adoption will ramp up in regional and remote Australia once electric versions of 4WDs and utes with longer battery life become available.Automotive brands are being accused of pushing a "loophole" policy so they can keep selling dirty and inefficient vehicles to Australian consumers.