Vic EV trial forges ahead

Publicity people for the EV sector might euphemistically refer to their product’s market penetration as ‘steady progress’, for things have been pretty glacial to date. Slow enough to warrant a Victorian government press release about two new public charging posts going live at Melbourne’s Federation Square. Oddly, the real news is buried down in the middle of the release.

That is, Melbourne company EV Engineering is set to join the state government’s EV trial with a fleet of all-electric Holden Commodores. The seven-strong fleet joins the trial alongside similar fleets of Mitsubishi i-MiEVs, Nissan Leafs and Toyota Prius plug-ins. Along, of course, with Holden’s Volt as the company prepares for its launch later this year.

Holden has been running LHD Volts Down Under since late 2011, but the first RHD ones arrive for trialling by company staff on Melbourne roads this week.

By the standards we’ve seen to date, this is a ‘leap forward’ indeed, as the press release declares. The new charging posts, installed by Better Place Australia, take to 16 the number of such publicly available spots across Melbourne.

While consumer and industry interest in EVs remains tentative, Victorian Minister for Roads Terry Mulder says the Commodore fleet and the bumping up of charging infrastructure play an important part in strengthening it.

Raising the number of charging spots and making it more convenient for drivers to park and plug in at locations across Melbourne is important in this respect, he said in a statement. “So the new charge spots are great news for drivers.”

The two posts have taken up residence on the rooftop and 3S levels of Federation Square’s multi-storey parking station. Good for 20-25km of range per hour of charging, they’re available to EV trial participants free, while existing Better Place subscribers get access too.

“The Victorian government is committed to investing in sustainable transport and we’re excited by the news today that the proof-of-concept electric Holden Commodore will also be joining this important trial,” Mr Mulder said.

Port Melbourne-based EV Engineering, a consortium of auto makers and parts suppliers, has garnered plenty of media and public sector attention with Commodore fleet. “The government and its EV trial partners will be working with the team at EV Engineering to incorporate the electric Commodore into the trial along with Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota. It’s a great sign of growing industry interest and broadens the scope of data to enable a truly successful trial,” Mr Mulder said.

The electric Commodore’s drivetrain, sourced from US maker UQM, is unusual for its layout. The electric motor sits behind the rear seat, while the front bay goes to a battery configured for rapid swapping. The car goes up for trialling shortly. Driver’s seat access will be restricted to company staff for the duration of the program.

EV Engineering CEO Ian McCleave said the electric Commodore’s inclusion in the trial will prove valuable in analysing driving patterns and user behaviour, and comparing the car’s performance to other vehicles in the trial. “A like-for-like comparison is a vital way of understanding how we can improve and refine our proof-of-concept electric versions of one of Australia’s most popular cars,” he said in a statement.

Running until mid-2014, the Victorian government’s trial program will put EVs in the hands of 180 households and 60 fleets. Applications for people to participate in the 2013 round of vehicle allocations will open later this year.

Visit the Victorian government's website for more information.

Picture shows underside of Commodore rear end, with electric drivetrain in place.

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