Australia’s electric vehicle industry has welcomed the launch of the Queensland Electric Super Highway. The State’s energy minister Mark Bailey unveiled the first of many fast-charging electric vehicle stations in Cairns.
Stations will eventually be rolled out at various locations down the Queensland coast to the Gold Coast.
Mr Bailey said, “This fast-charging station is the first of many proposed throughout the state which will be announced by the Palaszczuk Government in coming months, making it possible to drive an electric vehicle from the state’s southern border to the Far North.”
“We are a forward thinking government, and we know the future is electric. This project is ambitious, but our vision is to facilitate increased uptake of electric vehicles in Queensland, getting as many people as possible on board the electric vehicle revolution, as part of our transition to a low emissions future.”
Mr Bailey said the Queensland Electric Super Highway was being developed through a collaboration between Energy Queensland and several State government departments and local councils.
“The Palaszczuk Government is committed to a renewable energy future and we recognise the importance of working closely with stakeholders, in particular local governments and private landowners, to enable projects such as the Queensland Electric Super Highway to become reality,” he said.
“By supporting the transition to electric vehicles, the Queensland Government is playing a leading role in bringing the Australian market up to speed with the transformation already occurring around the world.
“As electric vehicle uptake continues to increase around the world, providing charging infrastructure is an important step to supporting this transition in Australia.
Globally there are already two million electric vehicles on the road, with a further one million projected to be sold this year. Without the adequate support, Australia has been falling behind, missing out on significant opportunities for economic investment and the creation of high-skilled jobs.
Quotes:
Electric Vehicle Council: Behyad Jafari, Chief Executive Officer
“The Queensland Government is to be commended for its national leadership in providing electric vehicle infrastructure. Today’s announcement is an important step to supporting the use of electric vehicles.”
“This initial support from government serves as a signal that Queensland is serious about electric vehicles; providing the opportunity for investment to grow our economy and create new, high skilled jobs.”
“I encourage all governments across Australia to follow suit and provide motorists with the support needed to promote electric vehicle uptake.”
Audi Australia: Paul Sansom, Managing Director
“Fast-charging infrastructure is of paramount importance to the future success of Electric Vehicles in Australia. By 2020, Audi will have three fully electric vehicles available to the Australian market, and we want to bring this leading-edge technology to our consumers as part of an ownership proposition that gives them confidence in its suitability to our national road network.
“With the vast distances in between our capital cities, consumers need to have confidence that they will be able to find a charging station when they need it, even if they’re driving in an unfamiliar region. This is the current expectation around frequency of petrol stations, and it’s – rightly – what consumers will demand as EVs become more prevalent.
“The Queensland Government should be applauded for their show of leadership, and we look forward to similar initiatives from other states and territories,” said Mr Sansom.
BMW Group Australia: Marc Werner, Chief Executive Officer
“The BMW Group is a global leader in innovative personal mobility and we currently offer seven pure electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles in the Australian market. We have the product and the customers – now all we need is the infrastructure.
“And that’s why it is so heartening to see the Queensland Government showing such strong leadership with strategic policy direction and action on infrastructure. This progressive initiative sets the benchmark for other Australian governments to follow.”
Hyundai Motor Company Australia: Scott Grant, Chief Operating Officer
“Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) is proud to support the Qld Government in its zero emission initiatives and the rollout of an Electric Super Highway network. We look forward to the other states following Queensland’s lead in developing infrastructure to support low and zero emission vehicles in Australia.
“As one of the global automotive leaders in green vehicle technology, Hyundai Motor will continue to work with the Queensland Government to move towards a sustainable transport future.”
Jaguar Land Rover: Matthew Wiesner, Managing Director
“We are shaping the future at JLR. Up to half of Jaguar Land Rover’s line-up will be plug-in hybrids or electric vehicles by 2020.
“JLR Australia applauds the Queensland government’s plans for its support of the electric vehicle industry, and in particular their plans for the Electric Super Highway and the planned roll-out of the Type 2 DC charger network, and we would encourage other states and territories to follow in the same direction.”
“Further incentives and rebates are required to expedite the take-up of electric vehicles by Australian consumers, and we encourage all governments to look at reducing Stamp Duty, Registration and Luxury Car Tax on electric and hybrid vehicles as this support will help to provide motorists with increased choice of cars that are cheaper and healthier to operate.”
Mercedes-Benz: David McCarthy, Senior Manager Public Relations
“A prime objective of Mercedes-Benz is emission free driving. We already have produced Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles for consumers and these will be added to in the near future. We currently have introduced a range of PHEV’s and we will follow these with a range of pure EV’s in Australia in 2019. We have invested in our own solar charging station with battery capture at our Melbourne Head Office that powers our Company fleet of PHEVs.”
Mitsubishi Motors Australia: John Signoriello, Chief Executive Officer
“We are very pleased with the Queensland Government’s proactive approach with their investment in the EV Superhighway. This is very positive step forward and has the potential to shift the way consumers view electric vehicles in Australia and reduce any reluctance to adopting electric vehicle technology.”
