Turnbull backs EV claim

Bill Shorten’s ridiculed claim that electric vehicles can be fully charged in eight minutes receives some unexpected endorsement.

Bill Shorten charges an electric car at the launch of Labor's Climate Change Action Plan in Canberra. Picture: Kym Smith

Bill Shorten’s claim electric vehicles could be fully charged in eight minutes has received backing from his frontbench colleague Anthony Albanese — and former “first lady” Lucy Turnbull.

The Opposition Leader’s widely ridiculed claim has been seized on by Prime Minister Scott Morrison as evidence Mr Shorten does not understand his own emissions reductions policy, but appears to have found support from Mrs Turnbull.

The chairwoman of the Greater Sydney Commission and wife to Malcolm Turnbull shared an article on Twitter yesterday from the website Renewable Energy World, heralding the launch of “the world’s fastest e-vehicle charger” which could charge up to 350 kilowatts — or 200kms — in eight minutes.

Very exciting 👋👋👋ABB Launches 8-minute Charger for Electric Vehicles - Renewable Energy World https://t.co/xjjYIS5mp6

— Lucy Turnbull AO (@LucyTurnbullGSC) April 6, 2019

Earlier today, the Prime Minister warned Mr Shorten’s push to increase the number of electric cars of the road could “end the weekend”

Mr Morrison said he supported the development of electric vehicles, but that Labor’s push to have them make up 50 per cent of all car sales would harm lower to middle income voters.

“So the cheapest car you can currently buy, as an electric vehicle, presently, my understanding is, including all on road costs and the rest of it, is about $45,000 to $50,000 a year,” he said in Sydney.

“That’s the cheapest car Bill Shorten wants to make available to you to buy in the future, and I’ll tell you what — it’s not going to tow your trailer. It’s not going to tow your boat. It’s not going to get you out to your favourite camping spot with your family.

“Bill Shorten wants to end the weekend when it comes to his policy on electric vehicles where

you’ve got Australians who love being out there in their four wheel drives.

“He wants to say see you later to the SUV when it comes to the choices of Australians.”

Mr Shorten’s plan to increase electric car sales from 0.2 per cent to 50 per cent by 2030 has been consistently attacked by the Coalition in the lead up to next month’s election.

.@ScottMorrisonMP on Labor's emission reduction policy: Labor's emission target is 'reckless' and will increase everyone's standard of living.

MORE: https://t.co/ykweMevBOK #weekendlive pic.twitter.com/FLU27HMC1O

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) April 7, 2019

This morning, Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese was forced to defend Mr Shorten’s claim electric vehicles could be fully charged in eight minutes, an assertion made on FM radio on Friday that has been widely pilloried,

Mr Albanese, the opposition infrastructure spokesman, said this morning that newer EVs could in fact be charged within ten minutes, according to new technology in Europe.

“The truth is the Electric Vehicles Council will tell you the latest technology provides for charging that can take 10 minutes,” he told Sky News.

“That’s absolutely what the technology is delivering in places like Europe.”

But Mr Albanese conceded it would take much longer to charge older, and cheaper, electric cars.

“That’s for the newer vehicles. It’s true that your older vehicles … don’t charge as quickly.

Mr Shorten, who has set a target of 50 per cent of new car sales to be electric by 2030, was put on the spot on live radio on Friday morning while spruiking the policy.

“How long does it take to charge it up?” host Jackie O asked the alternative prime minister in an interview on the Kyle and Jackie O radio show.

“Oh, it can take, umm … it depends on what your original charge is, but it can take, err, 8 to 10 minutes depending on your charge, it can take longer … ” Mr Shorten replied, despite the typical electric car taking about 8 to 10 hours.

“Is that all?” Jackie O pressed.

“Well it depends how flat your battery is,” Mr Shorten said.

A rapid recharge that goes a long way

The Prime Minister said Mr Shorten’s claim showed he “didn’t even understand his own emissions reduction policies”.

“What you won’t see (from the government) is reckless targets on emissions that will drag our economy back, putting up the cost of absolute everything, and particularly from a Labor Party that cannot even explain its own emissions reductions policies,” he said.

On Friday, The Australian revealed Labor’s electric vehicle plan could destabilise the nation’s power grid unless it is paired with major energ­y market reforms including “smart” network upgrades and a national rollout of time-of-use tariffs­ to ensure EV owners don’t charge their cars during peak deman­d periods.

Energy Networks Australia warned in a submission to the Senate’s recent electric vehicle inquiry that growing numbers of EVs, combined with the nation’s flat energy pricing structure, could worsen energy peaks and exceed the capacity of low-voltage networks.

“Australia’s distribution networks were not designed for any significant uptake of electric ­vehicles and the consequential demand­ for charging,” the peak energy network body said.

— with Ben Packham