There’s a reason we’re not driving electric cars

THEY’RE good in theory, but in reality electric cars just don’t fit into an Australian lifestyle, writes Mike O’Connor.

IN the early 80s, then-premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen had a vision.

In it Queensland led the way in developing emission-free motoring by building a car that ran on water that was turned into hydrogen, thanks to a process developed by inventor Steven Horvarth.

Sir Joh embraced the concept and come the big day was on hand to launch this technological wonder to the media.

Strangely, at this point the ignition keys went missing and could not be found.

Sir Joh eventually left somewhat disgruntled, the car was pushed to the kerbside and the water powered car was never heard of again.

That night on the six o’clock news the rest of the country, not for the first time, had a good laugh at Queensland’s expense.

Ever eager to drape themselves in the cloak of the eco warrior, politicians love proclaiming the demise of the internal combustion engine.

Chevrolet is the latest car company to release an electric car. (Pic: supplied)

Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg is the latest to do so, announcing this week that by 2030, there would be one million electric cars on Australian roads.

This won’t happen. Affluent inner city dwellers will — and do — buy them but there are good reasons most of us won’t.

For a start, they’re expensive. The best on the market now is BMW’s i3 which starts at $68,000.

Nissan will launch its latest Leaf here later this year with an expected price of $50,000. I can buy a Mazda 3 for less than half that.

How long does it take you to fill your car’s tank? Five minutes in total? To fully recharge a battery powered car from the power point in your garage will take 14 hours.

Pay around $700 to install a special home charging station and this drops to eight hours.

Just what happens to the national electricity grid when one million people arrive home and plug in has not been made clear.

The BMW has a range of 200km which can drop sharply depending on driving conditions. The plan is to install fast charging stations along the highways. Using these, you can get a full charge in 40 minutes.

Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg is confident that electric cars are the way of the future. (Pic: Mal Fairclough)

Going somewhere in a hurry? Sorry.

Where does the power come from? Those nasty coal fired power stations, that’s where.

There’s also the question of what to do with that 500kg battery when it wears out. In Europe only 5 per cent of batteries are recycled.

If they’re damaged, they give off toxic gases. It is estimated that by 2030, there will be 11 million tonnes of used electric car batteries stockpiled in Europe which have not been recycled, creating an environmental nightmare.

The Electric Vehicle Council, not surprisingly, has been quick to support Minister Frydenberg’s vision and ask for a handout.

It wants the taxpayer to fund a $7000 subsidy for each electric vehicle sold as well as dropping registration fees.

Electric car users will use the roads but not pay for their upkeep. Sound fair?

Frydenberg would be better employed in keeping the lights burning and electricity bills under control unless, of course, he knows someone who has invented a water powered car.