Is Australia Ready For Electric Cars?

We may not have flying cars or hoverboards just yet, but are we ready for electric cars? Apparently not, as Australia is currently listed as one the slowest countries in the world to adopt the electric car revolution.

According to data provided by EV Volumes, China led electric car sales in 2017 with 606,000, followed by USA with 200,000, and Norway with 82,000. It is predicted that by the end of 2018 there will be a total of 2.1 million electric vehicle plug-in sales worldwide with 350-360k in the US, 420-430k in Europe, 1150k in China, and 160k from others.

Unfortunately, Australia is nowhere to be found and in fact does not even rank in the top 10 countries. A report conducted by Climateworks Australia and Electric Vehicle Council showed that in 2017 there was a total of 2284 electric vehicle sales nationwide, and only 8 of them in Western Australia. Despite these low numbers, Australia saw a 67% increase overall in electric vehicles purchased from 2016 to 2017.

It’s not that Australians aren’t interested in electric cars, in fact a survey revealed that more than fifty per cent are interested in purchasing but are held back by a lack of infrastructure, car choices, and price.

To put it into perspective, online data shows Australia has 6800 petrol stations and 476 charging stations, that’s 14.3 stations to every 1 charging point with less than 1 available every 100km. The choices and price ranges available also didn’t really help our numbers with families being able to choose from a $70,000 BMW or a $120,000 Tesla.

As we begin 2019 here is a list of new electric cars launched in Australia so far and what to look forward to:

Tesla Model 3

• Release date: Was previously mid 2018, has now moved to the second half of 2019.

• Price: $35,000 USD ($47,000 before incentives) Tesla is still confirming Australian local prices without incentives but lookout for around the $50,000 mark.
  Driving range: 345 km
• Features: The Tesla Model 3 is a four-door sedan that goes from zero to 100km/h in under six seconds. It has a five star safety rating with an advanced autopilot hardware that is capable of full self-driving.

Hyundai Ioniq

• Release date: Available now.
• Price: Base model hybrid starts from $33,990. Plug-in hybrid starts at $40,990. Pure electric $44,990
• Driving range: Pure electric model will see up to 280 km. Plug-in hybrid will see up to 63 km battery power before switching over to petrol.
• Features: The battery can be charged to 80 per cent in 23 minutes using a 100 kW fast charging station. Hyundai is also offering a 6.6 kW home charge station that will perform a full charge in 4.5 hours. Normal wall socket will take around 12 hours to fully charge.

Second Gen Nissan Leaf

• Release date: 2019.
• Price: Prices have not yet been revealed but expect to see them compete with Tesla around $40,000 to $50,000.
• Driving range: Nissan has confirmed the local range will be 270 kilometres.
• Features: A Propilot feature promises to offer full autonomous drive functionality for a single-lane highway.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

• Release date: Available now.
• Price: $50,500 to $55,500
• Driving range: As a pure plug EV hybrid, it will get you 54 km, after which the petrol engine will take over.
• Features: Equipped with the latest Mitec features including lane departure warning, blind spot warning, hill start assist, adaptive cruise control, and much more.

Jaguar I-PACE

• Release date: Available now.
• Price: Start from $110,990 to $171,270.
• Driving range: up to 500 km.
• Features: Can be charged up to 80 per cent in 90 minutes using a 50 kW rapid charger. The car can go from 0 to 100 km/h in around 4 seconds, and has a lot of storage space, being able to store 530 litres in the back and 36 in the front compartment.

Bentley EXP 100 GT

Bentley is celebrating its 100th birthday with an electric grand touring coupe which is predicted to be released by the year 2035.

Blending all iconic Bentley features with futuristic elements, the EXP 100 GT concept stares deep into onlookers souls with a front grille that hosts 6,000 LED bulbs, separated by a thin piece of copper.

Despite the bodywork being made up of lightweight materials, aluminium and carbon fibre, the 5.8m by 2.4m beast still weighs as much as a full grown hippo, sitting at 1,900kgs.

However, don’t let it’s deceiving weight and overly charming looks seduce you from the fact that this battery-powered car boasts 0-100 in just 2.5 seconds.

With a 1,500 newton-metre battery electric powertrain, one charge will take you as far 700kms with a fast charge of 80 percent power in just 15 minutes.

Inside the cabin drivers are greeted with an artificial intelligent personal assistant in the centre console and controls 5 distinct autonomous driving modes.

Labelled as sustainable innovation, enjoy the luxurious mix environmentally-friendly materials, including leather, reclaimed wood with copper inserts, wool, and polished aluminium.

Aston Martin Valhalla

Described as a heaven where fallen warriors are sent, the Valhalla is an embodiment of Norse mythology. It continues what Aston Martin labels as a ‘fine tradition’ of names that begin with the letter V, following suit of the Valkyrie.

The concept hybrid coupe takes elements from the Valkyrie, with a similar carbon-fibre construction and a twin-turbocharged v6 engine working alongside a hybrid system boasting 1,000 horsepower.

Sales are expected to be in 2021 with only 500 of the limited-run coupe to be made. Official prices have not been announced but rumors suggest enthusiasts to pay around $1.86m Australian dollar.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for it in the next James Bond movie.

Lotus Evija

Dubbed the world’s lightest production electric vehicle hypercar, the Lotus Evija is the first ever electric vehicle hypercar.

The tiny hyperspace rocket consists of four exceptionally compact and extremely light planetary gearboxes, with each gearbox coming with an e-motor and inverter acting as a single cylindrical Electrical Drive Unit.

This gives a target horsepower of 500 per e-motor and a total combined horsepower of 2000. Under the bonnet lies a mid-mounted 70kW lithium-ion battery pack that can take drivers up to 400km on one charge.

It takes just 18 minutes to completely charge the battery, accepting a 800kw fast charge.

Production of the Lotus Evija is expected to commence early 2020 and has been restricted to 130 vehicles globally, 3 of which have already been marked for in Australia

Those with a need for speed can expect to pay around $3million AUD.

Australia still has a long way to go

It is a clear sign that Australia definitely has some extra work to do when it comes to infrastructure for electric vehicles.

Realising what the future holds, Western Power along with the Electric Vehicle Council have teamed up in a bid to penetrate the technology of WA and Australia wide to improve on our current infrastructure.

With 11 new models to reach Australian shores by the end of 2019, and major companies such as Toyota and General Motors planning to release an entire line of electric vehicles by 2025, the thought of switching to a hybrid or electric car will probably cross your mind, consider reading our article on hybrid vehicles advantages.

Electric or not, Dean’s Autoglass can repair or replace any models’ windscreen.