EV switch not plugged in
Tasmania is talking up EV plans, but it's starting from well behind the curve…It's good to aim high, but Tasmania's proposal to incentivise green transportation is well and truly a case of putting the cart before the horse.
Last month, the Apple Isle's state government announced that it would move to offer inducements for electric vehicle ownership on the back of expanded 'green' power generation.
Alas, as we've found out first hand, without even a fraction of the publically available charging stations offered in other states, anyone who takes the government's lead and buys an EV is likely to strike problems…
Unlike Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, Hobart is almost entirely without public pay-for-charge points. A single facility is offered at a Nissan dealership in the CBD, though it is not compatible with most EVs – including the most advanced currently available on the Australian market, the Tesla Model S.
Charging infrastructure elsewhere in the state is non-existent.
By comparison mainland capitals would appear to be brimming with publically-accessible charging stations with Sydney currently offering 25 public charging stations and Melbourne more than 30. Brisbane is also well ahead with 10 and Adelaide eight, while Perth has recently announced a fast-charging network of more than a dozen publically-accessible stations throughout the city and its suburbs.
The fact is, even all of these combined couldn't hope to provide Tasmania with anything like the type of infrastructure required to support a viable EV fleet.
If the announced shift in Tasmania's transport infrastructure is to happen (and the Liberal state government wants to present itself as an exemplar to its mainland counterparts), it needs to be supported with a significant roll-out of charging station infrastructure.
The aims are laudable. As the state's manufacturing and heavy industry recedes, 'green' electricity generated from a combination of hydro, wind and solar power would be well utilised as a source of fuel for private transportation.
But as commendable as the notion to offer an alternative to petroleum-powered transport is, to do so before having anything like the levels of infrastructure in place (or even plans for them) to support it, is nothing short of political spin.
motoring.com.au's Trip to Tassie in a Tesla goes live tomorrow…
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