Canberra Building Electric Car Network
via The Australian.
Canberra is to be the first city in Australia to roll out an infrastructure network that will support electric vehicles. With good reason too! It’s great to see the government taking the initiative on a renewable template we can all look to follow in the coming years. Though it will be interesting to see how many bureaucrats and politicians end up trading in their 6 cylinder Holden Statemans for a more fuel efficient hybrid like the dorky model shown above.
I’m sorry but one can’t help but be slightly cynical. It is stated that power from these sites will be sourced from “renewable energy”. Will the “homes, offices and shopping centres” that house these recharge stations somehow accomodate their power needs? Will they support this? The success here relies on the participation of private enterprise.
It is interesting that the urban situation serving the mobile population remains as the given. What exists isn’t really challenged. The car is continually accomodated, forever growing the energy intensive roads, services and sprawled satellite housing plots. Maintenance is very expensive and uses energy. Trucks use diesel. Lots of it.
I am in support of the idea though. These small gestures can at least provide a template for critique, so the private sector can see or improve on their viability. The network should be up and running in 3 years.
We await more information regarding the network.
