Boot size, cost, availability: Some of the limitations of electric cars
How much will it cost, especially for a car with a boot big enough for all that weekend sports gear? How long does it take to charge? And what’s the deal if you want to go off-road or tow a boat? Your guide to owning an electric vehicle. QUESTION AND ANSWERS
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Queensland soccer mums will have to fork out more than $100,000 to buy an electric SUV with a boot big enough to fit in weekend sport gear and the groceries.
And in bad news for outdoor enthusiasts and farmers, there are no plans to sell electric 4WDs in Australia.
Today, The Courier-Mail reveals some of the practical limitations of owning an electric vehicle in Queensland, including that their driving range can reduce by up to 17 per cent once the temperature reaches 35C.
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It comes as new Coalition analysis shows Queenslanders in regional seats would be hit hardest by Labor’s plan to force manufacturers to ensure vehicles emit less pollution.
In a state hammered by cyclones, floods and storms — all which cut power — questions have been raised about how people will be able to recharge the electric vehicles during an extreme weather event.
The average Australians spend on a new car is $30,000 and the average age of a car on the road is 10 years.
The cheapest pure EV — not a petrol-electric hybrid — is the Hyundai IONIQ, which costs $45,000. SUVs are more expensive and the only one on the Australian market today is the Jaguar I-PACE, which starts at $119,000.
Labor wants 50 per cent of all new car sales to be EVs by 2030 (about 600,000 a year) and will impose emissions standards on manufacturers.
And as part of a jobs plan, it will offer big car makers incentives to bring back a car industry to Australia.
RACQ spokesman Paul Turner said the motoring body supported EVs but preferred to support all technologies that were low emission.
“RACQ believes that once electric vehicles are cheaper and have a range of at least 400km, as some already have, then they will be quickly taken up by those looking for a good commuter vehicle that is cheap to run and maintain,’’ Mr Turner said.
“However, there are currently no genuine EV alternatives for vehicles like Australia’s very popular Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger, particularly when it comes to towing capacity and 4WD capability.
“On average there are 230,000 vehicles sold a year in Queensland of which, currently, about 500 are electric, mainly Tesla.
“To get to 50 per cent of new car sales, we would need an increase in sales of more than 150 per cent compounding every year to 2030.”
Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek said the party had a $200 million fund, including $100 million of Commonwealth money and matched by partners, to build fast charging stations.
“If we can get our electric vehicle fast charging stations rolled out, and if we can have affordable models for people to purchase here in Australia I think you will see significant take up,’’ she told ABC Radio.
“We also as governments have a role in purchasing these vehicles as fleet vehicles.”
Ms Plibersek claimed Australia has become the “junkyard of the world” because of the high-polluting cars sold.
“We are getting cars in Australia that don’t meet the vehicle emissions standards of Europeor the US and we have got fewer choices for electric vehicles in Australia than most other countries,’’ she said.
Defending Labor’s electric vehicle push, the deputy leader conceded EVs were not as cheap as some cars and would not be realistic for everyone.
Energy Minister Angus Taylor accused Labor of not understanding the needs of Queenslanders.
“It’s about time Bill Shorten started answering some basic questions on what his reckless policy means for Queenslanders,’’ he said.
“His failure to do so suggests he either doesn’t know impact of his own policies — or he’s doesn’t want us to know.”
New Coalition analysis shows Queenslanders in regional seats would be hit hardest by the Labor plan. With the crackdown estimated to push up the price of a new car by up to $5000, the Coalition has warned that drivers living in Wright, Groom, Hinkler, Fairfax and Fadden will be among hit the hardest.
Pointing to ABS data, Mr Taylor said people in those Queensland electorates were on lower incomes and relied more on their cars.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q. How many pure electric vehicles (EVs) are on the Australian market?
A. There are seven. There are 19 pure EVs and PHEVs (plug-in hybrid EV).
Q. What is their price range?
A. Between $45,000 and $135,000.
Q. How do you charge an EV? Can you just use a normal power point and if so, does that influence how long it takes?
A. Level 1 electrical socket: The car’s mobile charge cable is plugged into an electrical socket directing electricity to the car’s on-board charger — 11-14 hours
Level 2 home wall recharger: Recharging using an installed battery recharger takes about 8 hours. Home rechargers cost between $1500 and $2500.
Level 3 fast charging: Using a high-voltage DC charger at a public charging station — about 30 minutes
Q. Can EVs be charged within 12 minutes?
A. Yes, but current EVs do not have the capacity to take that amount of charge over that time period.
Q. Generally, once they are fully charged, how long can they drive for? How does an EV’s range change, depending on the number of people in your car or if you’re using airconditioning?
A. Teslas range between 490km and 565km. Others range from 200-480km. The battery range depends on how fast you drive and whether you have the airconditioning on. Tesla has a real-time calculator to determine your range depending on conditions. The Model S, doing 100km/h in 30C heat without the airconditioning will do 605km on a full charge. Driving at 110km/h in 20C heat with the airconditioning on will give 496km range.
Q. Where is the battery?
A. They mostly sit underneath the car.
Q. Are there any SUVs or 4WDs EVs?
A. In Australia there is the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Volvo XC 60 T8 PHEV, and the BMW x5 PHEV. Technically, the Jaguar I-PACE is an EV but the cost starts at $119,000 before on-road costs.
Q. Are any arriving in the coming years?
A. The Hyundai Kona is a small SUV, expected soon. It is the size of a Mazda CX3. Also the Audi E-Tron and Mercedes Benz EQC are expected this year. There are no 4WD EVs coming to Australia at this stage.
Q. Can you tow a boat or trailer and if so, how does reduce your travel time by?
A. Towing capacity has improved. But so far, towing reduces range significantly. A private test done with Tesla Model X with a 1200kg Haines Hunter SF535 boat attached found that, over a 35km journey, there was a 17 per cent drop in battery range. That’s three times faster than standard, essentially reducing a complete charge from 565km to less than 200km.
Q. Over time (like a phone) does a battery degrade and take longer to recharge?
A. Yes. Most manufacturers offer an eight-year, 100,000km warranty. Batteries can degrade between 10 and 40 per cent
during this time.
Q. How do I know when the battery is running out — does a light come on like in a normal car?
A. EVs have plenty of warning systems to alert drivers to dwindling range.
Originally published as Boot size, cost, availability: Some of the limitations of electric cars
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