To assist the Australian population transition to electric vehicles, the Federal Government is supporting a suite of tools that will help vehicle fleet owners plan for electric fleets and prepare electricity distributors for the expected increase in demand for electricity. 

With the governments National Electric Vehicle Strategy set to be finalised by mid-2020, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has already begun planning for the changes that will occur with mass uptake of electric vehicles. 

As part of this, the government through ARENA has provided $469,380 in funding to Australian startup Evenergi Pty Ltd to launch the Charge Together Fleet initiative, a joint partnership with the Electric Vehicle Council. 

Through this initiative, an online platform will be made available to vehicle fleet managers and businesses to assist them in building a business case for switching to electric vehicles.  

Evenergi will also collaborate with Ausgrid as part of the project, to develop a national planning tool that will guide electricity distributors through preparing for expected increases in demand for electricity in their networks. 

Earlier this year $15 million in Federal funding was announced to Evie Network to build Australia’s largest ultra-fast EV charging network. This latest investment is further proof of Australia’s commitment to electric vehicles and falls in-line with the National Electric Vehicle Strategy. 

Through the Strategy, Australia will address the current barriers to widespread electric vehicle uptake, including a lack of charging infrastructure, the cost of purchasing electric vehicles and lengthy charging times. 

The Strategy falls under the federal government’s $3.5 billion Climate Solution Package aimed at delivering Australia’s 2030 Paris climate commitments. 

11 Oct 2019

Original source: Department of the Environment and Energy | Electric vehicles charging the way