Thanks grahroll, so it would be feasible to charge your vehicle from your own home for most use. Have a good one.
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For charging at home off your solar PV, or off peak a single phase nominal 7.2kW charger might be more than adequate. There are smart chargers for which the time of day and charging rate can be set to maximise charging from solar, and minimise the need/cost of paid for grid power.
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Even single phase normal 2.4 kW household electricity supply would easily charge most cars for the usage they have daily. It would be in that case maybe a few more hours of charging but would it matter to most people that their car is charging while they are asleep or not using the vehicle. Certainly if using the car for a couple of hundred kilometres each day, then faster charging is a time saver.
A EV owner would just need to work out their daily commute to see what is optimal for them. It is different to fossil fuels, the habit of waiting for a week or a fortnight before filling up with diesel, petrol or gas would change to just plugging in daily to keep a full battery for the unexpected longer trip.
As charging stations become more available even high usage vehicles could quickly fast charge to 80% at a station and top off at home as needed. Not more than 5 km from my home there are 6 charging stations already in place. Within 10 km there are also several free bays for use (how long will they remain free is a guess). A Service Station within 2 km is being refurbished and it will have at least 6 charging bays, one about 10 km away is getting another 6 bays. The charging landscape is changing where household charging is not necessary but it still will be cheaper than paying for the providers of bays.
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Not so many charging stations in rural areas yet but I’m sure they will come when service stations realize they can make money out of them. Charging at home would be doable for me.
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The delay (reticence?) in enacting fuel/economy standards and promoting EVs more ‘forcefully’ might be explained fully or partly.
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Has the strategy missed the mark and an opportunity to move on the low hanging fruit? Should the strategy focus more on the types of vehicles used on our roads that individually are the most polluting and travel the greatest distances annually? EG Heavy transport, diesel vehicles, buses, 4WD’s, Taxis and Ubers?
Background:
There’s a more positive outlook on consumer expectations for a more electric future. The National EV Strategy is promoted towards everyday consumers and the transition of our personal use passenger vehicles. Approaching 16 million. Their average annual use is relatively low, especially for the second car, school run or shopping hack.
In comparison there are far fewer numbers of road vehicles used for commercial/business. These mostly travel much greater distance in a year than the most private owner passenger cars. The relevant emission regulations are greatly relaxed, and their engine outputs far more polluting.
IE light commercial vehicles (tradies utes, the many 4WD’s registered for business, vans, light trucks, etc), taxis, buses, and trucks (delivery - heavy road haulage).
With far fewer vehicles in the commercial/business pool, they offer the greatest gains for the least number of vehicles. Consider business investment is tax deductible, the cost of fuel and maintenance considerable, and the flow on to consumers of increasing costs/expensive transport of products a direct impact on all consumers.
Are consumers being distracted and looking away from the area that offers the greatest opportunity for improvement?
Note -
Approx 3.5 million light commercial vehicles, busses and trucks produce more than one third of Australia’s transport emissions (38%).
Our 16 million personal use passenger vehicles account for just under half (47%) of Australia’s transport emissions.
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Perhaps it is not over until it is over and different economies will support different technologies similarly to the right vs left hand drive worlds?
EVs have a head start, but.
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