Your questions about electric cars answered, as Federal election campaign ramps up
Electric vehicles have been one of the talking points of the 2019 federal election campaign, and both major parties have made commitments to boost sales.
While the number of electric vehicles on Australian roads is extremely low, consumer sentiment is changing.
The Opposition has set a target of making up to half of new cars sold in Australia electric by 2030.
The Coalition has argued that is unrealistic, although Government agency estimates put new electric car sales in 2030 as sitting between 25 and 50 per cent of the market.
At the moment, you can expect to pay about $45,000 for the cheapest car on the market, with prices well over $100,000 for premium models.
Hundreds of voters have asked questions about electric cars via the ABC’s You Ask, We Answer project.
Here are some answers.
What is the expected life of an electric car battery?
The “official answer” is at least eight years, according to the Electric Vehicle Council’s Tim Washington.
“Most manufacturers warranty their battery packs for eight years unlimited warranty,” Mr Washington said.
After that point, the batteries should be able to hold about 70 per cent of their original charge levels, he said.
Mr Washington expects battery swap schemes to be created in future.
“We just haven’t hit a stage where that’s readily a market that needs serving,” he said.
How far can you travel on a single charge?
Mr Washington said the range is between 250 kilometres and 650km for top-end models.
“It’s pretty comfortable for your average weekly commute,” he said.
“You could almost do that with just a charge a week.”
There are several ways to charge a car.
Mr Washington said plugging the car into a regular power socket overnight would provide enough charge for a 100km journey.
A dedicated power station — a more popular option that costs about $2,000 to install at home — is capable of delivering 350- to 400kms’-worth of charge overnight.
That range is more than doubled with a three-phase charging station.
The cost of charging varies because of peak and off-peak power rates and the vehicles themselves.
Mr Washington believes it would cost between $360 and $750 to power a vehicle driven 15,000km per year.
Very cold conditions, such as those on snow-topped mountains during winter, can affect the amount of charge batteries can hold.
Who pays at public charging stations?
In many cases, drivers do not need to pay to recharge their cars.
“It is the site host who pays for the electricity because they gain a benefit from you being there,” Mr Washington said.
“So if you go to a shopping centre, for example, you stay there, you charge your car, it costs them almost nothing.
“But it means that you stay a bit longer.”
In February, Infrastructure Australia proposed a national rollout of fast-charging sites as one of its most pressing investment priorities over the next 15 years.
Under the proposal, fast-charging sites would be established along the national highway network for use by truck companies and private drivers.
What about taxes?
A shift towards electric vehicles is going to impact fuel excise collected by the Federal Government, which rakes in about $18 billion a year.
About 41 cents from every litre of fuel goes to government coffers, and that money is used to build and maintain roads.
PHOTO: It isn’t only cars — Australia Post has rolled out e-trikes on some of its routes. (ABC News: Meghna Bali)Some groups, including think-tank Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, believe a tax based on distance travelled is the way forward.
“Over the last decade or so, fuel excise has been in decline, but with new, more fuel-efficient vehicles — and particularly hybrid and electric vehicles — it’s now in terminal decline,” Infrastructure Partnerships Australia chief Adrian Dwyer said last year.
Mr Washington believes a road use tax is inevitable.
Source: abc.net.au
