When I was younger I went on group road trips from Adelaide to Darwin and Perth to the Kimberley. It’s great to hear that within a few years these trips will be possible in all brands of long range electric cars, not just Teslas which have been the pioneers of remote Australian EV driving so far.
The NRMA will soon begin testing an Australian-first off-grid EV fast charging prototype in preparation for deploying the solution at sites along remote routes such as the Stuart and Eyre Highways.
The hybrid charging solution uses solar panels to maintain charge across a number of battery banks, along with backup generators for enhanced reliability. The system can be expanded over time as demand and usage increases.
The innovative standalone off-grid solution is essential to connect and build the national EV highway network, utilising a self-contained hybrid system substantially powered by solar.
The remote energy solution will power up to two 75kW chargers across four charging bays, providing much needed charge to drivers traveling long distances across Australia’s highway network.
NRMA Chief Executive Energy, Carly Irving-Dolan said the off-grid technology was critical to supporting the national EV highway network across regional and remote Australia.
“As we make the transition to electric vehicles the NRMA is ensuring that drivers can travel freely wherever whenever they want across our vast country without having to worry about where they’ll charge”.
“We’re proud to be working with Australian manufacturers and innovators to find power solutions where drawing from the grid is simply not possible.”
“We know the Australian landscape presents unique challenges for EV infrastructure, particularly in remote Australia. Utilising renewable energy which is in abundance in central Australia is an innovative way to connect remote communities and make sure no community is out of reach in an EV”.
The NRMA National Highway electric vehicle charging partnership with the Federal Government will see the creation of 117 fast charging sites across the national highway network to provide certainty of charge to Australian electric vehicle owners and overseas tourists on EV driving holidays.
I like that, ‘a self-contained hybrid system substantially powered by solar’? They don’t mention the diesel generator.