ACE EV wins $5m to trial electric vehicles technology in SA
Commercial production of electric cars at a planned $295m factory in Adelaide’s north is a step closer after $5m in federal budget funding was awarded to the company behind the project.
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Plans for a $295m electric vehicle manufacturing facility in Adelaide’s north are a step closer following the announcement of a $5m trial in last week’s federal budget.
The funding, awarded to ACE EV, will go towards a trial of the company’s vehicle-to-grid technology.
The technology enables the power stored in an electric vehicle’s battery to be distributed to a home or back into the grid.
As part of the 18-month trial, up to 40 vehicles with on-board chargers and meters will be built in Adelaide by contract manufacturer Aldom Body Builders.
ACE EV managing director Greg McGarvie said the trial would start in the first half of next year, with the vehicles to be tested by fleet operators across the country.
“The reason for the trial is to test features that will be incorporated into our vehicles in the future,” he said.
“What we’re wanting to demonstrate is that having a meter in the vehicle is an advantage to transmission network service providers, who have to make predictions about energy usage, which is difficult when you’ve got electric vehicles driving around.
“In bushfires and natural disasters, our vehicles will be able to swarm to the area and provide back up power to homes when power lines go down.”
ACE EV is in talks with financiers to back plans for a $295m electric vehicle manufacturing facility in Adelaide’s north.
The facility is planned to have a capacity of 24,000 units a year, and by 2025 is expected to create more than 350 direct jobs and another 2400 indirect jobs.
Mr McGarvie said the budget funding had helped progress talks with potential investors.
“We’ve got $5m in the federal budget and that’s really resonated globally with investors who see the federal government is serious about moving into EV and into energy management solutions,” he said.
“We’re expecting to be monetised before Christmas, we’ve identified a site and if all goes to plan we’ll start work on the factory late next year.”
Mr McGarvie said South Australian Senator Rex Patrick played an instrumental role in securing the federal funding, and believes South Australia could become the electric vehicles capital of the country.
“It could be and it should be,” he said.
“We’re investing $20m in a research, development and design hub and working out where to set up our global headquarters, and we’d like to see what governments can bring to the table.
“What we’re looking for, for our workforce, and Adelaide has it, is lifestyle opportunities as well as work opportunities.”
Mr Patrick said the budget funding was welcome news for ACE EV, its suppliers and for South Australian manufacturing.
“I have been lobbying the federal government for several months to support establishing an advanced manufacturing facility in Adelaide’s northern suburbs, and thankfully the government has listened,” he said.
“The facility will see vehicle manufacturing brought back to SA for the first time in three years since the closure of the Holden factory in 2017.
“As we work towards a post COVID-19 future, all levels of government should be looking at increasing our manufacturing capability and EVs can play a big part in this.”
ACE EV is also commencing an autonomous vehicle trial with the Melbourne artificial intelligence provider SenSen Networks.