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Have we got a deal for you!

23/9/2021

12 Comments

 
PictureLike to buy an electric vehicle but deterred by the cost?
TRPI wants to hear from you, Graphic: Jeni Jobe
By Zoe Geyer

ON Wednesday I was sitting in a café talking with a dear friend (face mask carefully tucked under chin while sipping coffee) about how to fix the climate change mess when the earth shook. Silence descended as everyone was stunned by the shaking leaves of plants, clinking of glasses, and rumbling under our feet.

After a moment my friend broke the silence: “I’m just waiting for the four horsemen of the apocalypse to arrive now.”

​We’re all feeling a sense of foreboding as we look for a pathway to a future world of sunshine, rainbows and optimism.

It’s in this space that so much is happening at grass roots level. Totally Renewable Phillip Island (TRPI), a community group targeting 100% renewable and net zero carbon emissions by 2030, is one of many groups committed to taking action.

And the momentum is growing. In 2019 Bass Coast Shire declared a Climate Emergency and earlier this year the council adopted a climate action plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2030.

The Plan identifies 15 direct actions that households can take, three of which focus on transport: switch to low or no carbon transport; purchase more efficient passenger vehicles; and purchase an electric vehicle (EV).

EVs are more efficient than standard combustion engines, the plan notes. “Even when powered by the standard grid electricity, EVs reduce carbon emissions, noise and tailpipe pollution, improving public health and reducing ecological damage. They also provide energy storage potential which could support future energy grid flexibility.”

Well, fantastic. But how does owning an EV work out in practice?

We consulted Michael and Theresa who live in Corinella and are the proud owners of a 2019 Renault Zoe ZE40, a small car that is the best-selling EV in Europe. They’ve had the car for one year as of this week and bought it to take a small personal action in response to climate change. Importantly the 300km range suited their recent move to Corinella.

​“We visit family in Warragul and Ferntree Gully, have commuted to work in Pakenham and make many trips to Wonthaggi for shopping.”
Picture"Our Zoe, day one."
But is their EV more expensive than a ‘normal’ car?

​“Yes, for a comparable small car but we don’t have the running costs so definitely an economic purchase over time.”

​How much does it cost to run an EV compared to a petrol vehicle?


“Much cheaper to run. A 300km charge will cost $7.20 off peak or $14 peak from grid power (current Origin charges) but we are able to charge for little or no cost from our solar system. Minimal service cost, for example brake pads last much longer due to using regenerative braking to slow down in most situations and no oil to change.

“We have 10kw of solar on the house roof and a Zappi 22kw charger in the garage. We can fully charge in just over 2.5 hours. We often just charge for 1 hour before going out and gain an additional 100km + in the battery which is fine for travelling in the Bass Region. We are learning to time charging with peak solar output to reduce our carbon footprint & costs or, if required, we use off peak grid power to maximise economy.”

EVs are becoming more prevalent and more affordable year by year. Many countries, including the UK, China, Japan, France and Canada, have banned the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. The Victoria Climate Change Strategy is targeting 50% of all new car sales to be zero emissions vehicles by 2030.

But back to Michael and Theresa’s comment that their 2019 Renault Zoe ZE40 is an economic purchase over time but more expensive to buy. The upfront expense can be challenging. I was able to buy my own Hyundai Kona EV through my small business as a work car with a monthly payment plan, but I was fortunate that my circumstances allowed it – otherwise the upfront cost of an EV would have been beyond my grasp.

So how do we bring about easy access to EVs for the community to align with Bass Coast’s climate action plan?

Totally Renewable Phillip Island recently contacted the Good Car Company (part of EnergyLab, dedicated to the clean energy transition) which buys second hand EVs in Japan and brings them to Australia for resale.  Their model is a bulk buy for interested communities. They have worked with communities including Hepburn, Southern Tasmania, Canberra and Geelong.

We asked the Good Car Company if they could offer their second-hand EVs for sale on Phillip Island and Bass Coast. They were supportive of a bulk buy but want to understand what interest there is in Bass Coast.

Have you thought about buying an EV? If you have, please fill out the TRPI survey or respond via direct link. The survey takes a couple of minutes. Note, this is not a commitment to buy. Let’s just see where it takes us.

Zoë Geyer is co-ordinator of Totally Renewable Phillip Island.

12 Comments
SuzannePeel
24/9/2021 07:37:36 am

Looking to buy an EV around June 2020. Consider before. I have solar panels and want to purchase battery before buying EV. Drive 400 km one day each week to visit elderly relatives so want an ev that can do this

Reply
Michael Upston
1/10/2021 11:38:39 am

Here is one that will cover your range requirements:

Hyundai Kona Electric Elite Extended Range
Model: Hyundai Kona Electric
MSRP: AU$60,500
Maximum power: 150 kW
Battery: 64 kWh 356 V lithium polymer
Kerb weight: 1,743 kg
Transmission: 1-speed automatic
Range: 557 km battery-only
Max speed: 167 km/h

Cheaper EVs are coming in the next year including BYD from China

Reply
Felicia Di Stefano
24/9/2021 03:01:51 pm

Thank you very much Zoe. I'm certainly interested in what you are proposing. EVs, when driven by most, will make a huge dent in green house emissions.

Reply
Susan Fowler
24/9/2021 03:32:43 pm

This edition of the Bass Coast Post is full of exciting, good news stories. Thanks to all the contributors.

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Aleta Groves
24/9/2021 03:52:04 pm

You might want to lobby the Victorian Government first to remove their "STUPID" new EV tax!!! Our Victorian Labour Government is quite obviously not interested in the climate action plan of the Bass Coast - Why would you penalise people who do take an action from the plan and purchase and EV. We have an EV and now refuse to use it because of the tax, we would rather use our environmental unfriendly diesel because if the government doesn't support climate action why should we! How about addressing that!

Reply
Catherine Watson
24/9/2021 08:11:53 pm

Surely it costs you more to use your diesel car than your EV?

Reply
Aleta Groves
24/9/2021 08:21:33 pm

Actually it costs more to use the EV than an economical diesel vehicle! So if our government penalises us for something that is in the best interest of climate change why should we bother! We were planning to purchase another EV but NO-WAY while this tax is in place!

Peter Bogg
30/9/2021 07:34:41 pm

Aleta, I am confused by your commitment to the environment, but whatever it is, the road tax you pay using your diesel is more than using the EV. If you drove 10,000km you would pay $250 of road-user tax (ie 2.5 cents a km). If you used your diesel car, you would pay $299 in fuel excise (assuming 7 litres per 100km fuel economy and an excise tax of 42.7 cents a litre).

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Michael Upston
1/10/2021 11:48:40 am

I agree about the STUPID tax ( the only place in the world to do this!!) We have been fighting this but EV users are a small lobby group and the perception that we all drive cars that cost $70k plus does not help ( ours cost $35 k last year) However, our Renault Zoe is still much cheaper to use than any fossil fuel car due to having home charger and solar panels. Also off peak charging is still make the Zoe cheaper to run than diesel cars.

Reply
Nat
24/9/2021 04:42:04 pm

thanks for the insight - especially the costs. Fabulous of course for the environment and the way of the future.
It's just not quite there yet for a confident every day reality for many people.
For a woman driving alone - or worse a woman driving with toddlers and babies - there's such a possibility to get stranded in the middle of nowhere.
In the old days, you could walk to the nearest petrol station. But currently, there's simply not nearly enough petrol stations that have the electric charging ability to feel confident as the electric car as your only source.
How long does it take at the petrol station? Could be interesting needing to sit there are read a book for 30 minutes at night at a petrol station in an unsafe area while it charges - with tired kids.
The other thing I wonder about - in the future, when we are all solely relying on electricity, and other forms of power have gone - the incredible need of electricity is going to be way more insatiable as times goes on.
Not sure wind turbines (which no one wants near their own property) or solar panels in Tasmania and Victoria will make enough electricity? Food for thought...

Reply
Catherine Watson
24/9/2021 08:10:36 pm

Nat, I think most people will be charging from their own solar panels, so at no cost to themselves and no strain on the national grid. In fact it will relieve the grid of the excess power being generated by solar panels at peak solar time. In time the EV battery will also become a back-up source of power for households in times of blackout.

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John Halford
24/9/2021 07:40:44 pm

Love my Tesla 3, currently in suburban Melbourne with free chargers around although a network of chargers is a work in progress. Household GPO a useful backup. All state Governments need to come up with a common way of paying for road infrastructure. Do not hold your breath on federal leadership.

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