They’re quiet, they’re (still) expensive, but they’re staging an invasion.
With rapid design advances, electric vehicle prices are fast descending from the stratosphere to match the pockets of more Tasmanians.
Australian Electric Vehicle Association Tasmania secretary Christopher Walkden said as more fleets picked up electric cars, the prices would drop.
“At the moment, they’re more expensive to buy and less expensive to run,” he said, pointing to a BMW I3, which cost about $35,000.
Recent advances in battery design had given electric cars a much longer range, with the latest lithium-ion batteries taking cars 300 to 400 kilometres before they needed a top up.
The association has been working hard to ensure there was a good charging station network across the state.
“We have around 80 of the slower chargers. The Kentish Council put one in at the Sheffield Visitor Centre.
“It will give about 100 kilometres per hour of charge. The council wanted tourists to come, stay in the centre of town and go shopping while their car was charging.”
The next step was the DC fast charger, which would take 20 minutes to fill the battery to 80 per cent.
Mr Walkden said the association hoped to have them in the state by the end of the year.
He estimated there were about 300 to 400 e-cars in the state, but as there was no classification for them it was hard to know exactly.
Repairing e-cars was also getting easier, with an enterprising mechanic on the North-West Coast’s Smithton taking up the challenge.
Leah McBey
As a southern New Zealander I love island life. So Tassie was an obvious choice after living in North America, Europe and the Pacific Islands. I've done a bit of everything but communication is the motif threading through my life.
As a southern New Zealander I love island life. So Tassie was an obvious choice after living in North America, Europe and the Pacific Islands. I've done a bit of everything but communication is the motif threading through my life.
