Australia Developing Massive Electric Vehicle Grid

blairerickson writes "A US firm Thursday unveiled plans to build a massive one-billion-dollar charging network to power electric cars in Australia as it seeks cleaner and cheaper options to petrol. Better Place, which has built plug-in stations for electric vehicles in Israel and Denmark, has joined forces with Australian power company AGL and finance group Macquarie Capital to create an Australian network. Under the plan, the three cities will each have a network of between 200,000 and 250,000 charge stations by 2012 where drivers can plug in and power up their electric cars. The points would probably be at homes and businesses, car parks and shopping centres. In addition, 150 switch stations will be built in each city and on major freeways, where electric batteries can be automatically replaced in drive-in stations similar to a car wash." I hope they're talking to the car companies about the necessary standardization it would take to make this work, too.

the child in me...

[RuBLed]

envisioned that as a massive electric bump car grid.

Re:Where are they getting the power?

[Anonymous Coward]

As somebody who works in the industry, there's plenty of capacity. The reason for the rolling blackouts last summer was because our redundant lines (in Victoria) were taken out by bushfire. There was no way to prevent it.

Posted anonymous because I don't recall my login (not at home PC).

Re:Where are they getting the power?

[Cassius Corodes]

They don't make a profit in their lifetime?

Re:Where are they getting the power?

[Dogsballz]

I agree - however its a shame a smart aussie David Mills had to travel to the US to implement his solar technolgy. Schwarzenegger this week opened on a 5-megawatt Ausra (Australian technology) solar thermal plant near Bakersfield, California. However Ausra has also built a 1.5MW solar plant to add to the Macquarie Energy Liddell coal power station in the New South Wales Hunter Valley that has just been commissioned. Apparently there are plans to build 175MW plants in the US However given the huge uranium resources we have and how anal Australia is with regulation and safety I am still frustrated that we do not use nuclear power - it always comes down to an election issue praying on misinformed and emotionally charged voters. But hey we have millions of square kms or miles of red dirt perfect for solar plants but it all comes down to $$$ As for the electric car charging idea - I havent heard shite about that.

Re:Cars on the Grid is cleaner than Cars on the Pu

[theaveng]

I have an Insight, and even though it only has a 70hp engine, it can accelerate just fine. In fact I've had it up over 100 mph while cruising across the American continent. At no point have I ever felt the need for more power, and I drive the four-lane-wide I-95 every day with thousands of other cars and trucks.

The key is to learn how to go with the *merge* with the flow of traffic, rather than be an obstacle that jumps in front of massive trucks.

Re:Where are they getting the power?

[TapeCutter]

"Do a little research, on many topics."

I have, and I can listen to informed reason - tell me what's the problem with pebble bed reactors?

I'm not sure if your obtuse post is infering I'm youthfull because of a typo and/or conservative because I don't subscribe to the nuclear taboo, but just to be clear - you're wrong on both counts.

Re:Cars on the Grid is cleaner than Cars on the Pu

[GrahamCox]

I'm with you. One time in Germany I was crawling through roadworks which caused a lot of delay as everyone was forced into one lane. Once the first set of roadworks ended and we were back to three lanes but I could see it was only going to be for about 2km before another set of roadworks, so I didn't bother speeding up too much (maybe to 80km/h) or changing lanes (because the lane I was in was the one we'd all be in in 2km). Of course the bozo behind in a (what else) BMW 735i was 2 inches off my bumper flashing his headlights and tooting his horn. He got the finger repeatedly. I was in a UK-registered car, right hand drive, and with GB plate, so that probably wound him up even more. I feared for his heart as he was clearly going purple with rage. Eventually, fearing a ramming, I let him past. He accelerated excessively past me, expending a great deal of effort and attention on gesticulating at me. He didn't notice the traffic was slowing down again and was stopped up ahead, but realised just in time and just about managed to stop. Llucky he had ABS. I tucked in behind him and followed him for another 10km at a slow crawl through the roadworks. As they ended, he pulled off into a Rasthof as I tootled past... You have to wonder why he felt it so necessary to get in front of me for no good reason (except it *was* a BMW, so that does go with the territory). Maybe his pa was shot down in the war and couldn't stand a British car in front. He was extremely lucky he didn't cause an accident.