Australia to Develop an Electric Car?
Those of you who read yesterday's Australian Financial Review would have read the article in which Australia's four local car manufacturers, Holden, Ford, Mitsubishi and Toyota were bleating that they could not possibly begin pursuing green vehicle initiatives without substantial Australian Government handouts (anywhere from $500million to $2 billion, depending on who you speak to).
It's an especially interesting comment from Toyota who's parent company is already producing the Prius hybrid car in the US and China and is struggling to supply demand for the Prius here.
It would be easy now to slide into cynicism and despair over the Australian manufacturers reliance on government handouts and import tarifs to survive, while pondering their lack of ability to compete and innovate in the global economy.
The closest any of these four companies have come to innovation is Holden's two-door Commodore coupe Monaro. It's a nice car but not particularly innovative.
In this environment, it was genuinely heartening to read in the latest ReNew Magazine that there is a manufacturer in Australia building a mass-produced electric vehicle.
Armidale (NSW) based engineering firm Energetique have commenced the Energetique EV project. With funding sourced from Switzerland, USA, China, Korea, Germany, UK, Italy, Australia and Norway they are expecting the first prototype to roll off the shop floor early this year.
The first production run is expected to be about 200,000 two-door commuters with a later run of both a four door commuter and a commercial vehicle.
For the gear-heads, the Energtique EV is expected to have a range of 300km per charge, a top speed of 130km/h, will do 0-100 in about 10 seconds and weigh under 1200kg. ie: it will be a great commuter vehicle.
The Energtique EV will also feature a battery pack of liquid cooled lithium ion, regenerative breaking and a synchronous induction motor.
It's great to see Australians innovating where the larger competitors have failed to deliver. Perhaps Holden, Ford, Mitsubishi and Toyota could learn some lessons here.
I'm looking forward to seeing these on the road in the not too distant future :)
run by crooks?
http://www.asic.gov.au/asic/pdflib.nsf/LookupByFileName/Energetique%20Final%20EU%20-%2020081111.pdf/$file/Energetique%20Final%20EU%20-%2020081111.pdf
Re: Run by crooks
Bugger. Guess we won't be seeing these any time soon.
Electric Cars
Most start-ups have difficulty with understanding the ins and outs of ASIC. Even season professionals forget some I dotting. Chalk it up to the enthusiasm required to fight the naysayers and “anonymous†blogheads.
I see that Energetique have had successful launches of the EV ME, one even at Parliament House. I guess some Intelligentsia and Political types can see this innovation for what should become. Clear Cars, Clean Air.
I also hear that the firm has answered these ASIC issues, and now can get on to building a truly innovative EV here in Australia.
MD
Sydney
"Enthusiasm"
From ASIC;
'2.2.5 ... "Our [Energetique's] most recent achievement is the formal recognition by the Australian Government which has granted Energetique a $12.5 million research and development grant through the AusIndustry Research and Development Program."
2.2.6 In fact, Energetique has not received any research and development grant from the AusIndustry Research and Development Program."' (see link)
Mere "enthusiasm"?
perhaps you should check out
perhaps you should check out this page from the Australia Council site where the same tax concession is listed under the "grants" section....
Even the government seems to be confused about their own terminology - confusing concessions with grants.
http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/grants/createbiz/federal/r__and__d_tax_concession_for_research_and_development
electric car industry
Hi Craig,
Thanks for the green automobile news. I've been checking out Planet SLUG for a while now since I'm planning to immigrate to Sydney in the next year and have been quite curious about the country and the community there.
During my planning I had become despaired at the seemingly lack of electric cars provided by the automobile industry. I'm in London at the moment, and the city does have its bad points, but there are these nifty little g-wiz electric cars and priuses all over the place, which brings a warm feeling to my heart.
Reading about people's woes in trying to import electric cars, not being able to drive them due to safety legislation, and the complete lack of interest in the au automobile industry to promote cleaner forms of energy, has been very disheartening.
I naturally blamed the conservative howard governemt, and was delighted at the last election's outcome, much of which was again very informatively covered by the lovely people on Planet SLUG themselves ;)
So, it's great to see that consumers are aware of the alternative fuels out there, and are actively demanding them. Thanks for the post.
Alex