NSW Electric and Plug-in Hybrid policy released

[Vostok]

This got lost in the news last week due to you-know-what, but it's interesting for the fact that (a) we have an LNP government in this state and (b) the policy is arguably the most comprehensive released to date by any Australian government, however that is a pretty low bar to jump. Here's the link:

NSW Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Plan | Future Transport

The policy PDF:

https://future.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/media/documents/2019/Future Transport NSW Electric & Hybrid vehicle plan.pdf

The TL;DR version:

While a lot of it is the usual non-committal stuff, there are some specifics:

• Set a 10 per cent target for new NSW Government general purpose passenger fleet cars from 2020/21 – with 10 per cent of new vehicles purchased or leased by agencies to be electric or hybrid vehicles.
• Co-invest in fast chargers in regional NSW – on major regional corridors, in partnership with charging suppliers and councils.
• Co-invest in charging points in commuter car parks - and investigate commercial models for operation
  
• Adopt preferred charging standards - to guide councils, companies and investment (largely a non-event now in my view, J-1772 & Mennekes for AC, CCS2 for DCFC)
• Develop guidelines for installation of charging points in roadside service centres
  
• Invest in the development of a digital platform - to provide convenient and accessible vehicle and charging information (arguably done well enough already with Plugshare etc... I suppose they want an 'official' and less 'crowd-sourced/third party' effort)
• Develop and standardise roadside way finding signage – to help guide motorists to charging locations (of decreasing importance as drivers instead use their in-car nav systems, although Tesla only recently started including third-party charges in its routing, so there's still a bit of walled gardens going on).

Stuff that is not committed to but will be assessed/investigated:

• Assess the feasibility of transitioning one or more bus depots to partial or full electric operations, and converting the entire Sydney bus fleet to electric (I've been on some of the trial electric buses in the Inner West - they are brilliant, so much nicer to travel on than those noisy, vibrating, hot and smelly diesels).
  
• Facilitating car-share or ride-share trials using EVs (hmmm, okay, not sure government really has a role to play here)
  
• Adopt measures to make buildings ‘EV ready’ - ensuring that new buildings cater for EV charging (this is really important and should be a commitment, not a nice to have)
  
• The use of National Construction Code and Wiring Rules – to provide guidance on options to retrofit charging points in existing buildings (ditto)
  
• Further streamline approval processes for installing charging points - to make the installation of charging points quicker and cheaper (ditto)

There's certainly nothing on subsiding EVs, but I think that the structural and policy barriers to EV adoption are more important to solve in the short term, cost a lot less money, and less of a lightning rod for the critics. The cost of EVs will sort itself out soon enough, particularly if government fleets are required to start buying them.

It's a start, so kudos for that.

 

[Techno-phile]

That's good timing for my meeting with the WA State Minister for Energy this week (subject Covid19).
The WA government commissioned a report on EV infrastructure, which recommended 70 pairs of DC chargers at 200kms intervals on every Main road in WA for just $29 million.
However they haven't decided to act on it yet - it might be a good use of any National stimulus funds, especially as most of the the money would go to State utilities for grid connection. And it would encourage EV tourism once we can travel again, rather than flying abroad.

 

[PC__LoadLetter]

As a NSW-based rideshare driver, in a Model 3 SR+, I have a keen interest here.

Weekday driving around Canberra and Queanbeyan is fine. Short distances, and I barely even need HPWC or public charging. One of the ACTEWAGL chargers (the one opposite the Melbourne building) was recently upgraded to CCS2, and it worked beautifully on Sunday night after a long drive (from Mittagong). Alas the rest of theirs are still CCS1, and they all require a proprietary prox card.

Weekend driving is troublesome for me - but tolerable - and nothing I didn't already know when I signed on the dotted line.

Unless this plan involves actually installing CCS2 plugs around Wollongong and the Sutho Shire, then this announcement is all just hot air (plus a ream of wasted high gloss paper) to me. I have caring responsibilities in Sydney and travel weekly. To make the trips more enjoyable, and to cover the cost, I drive Uber and Ola on the way there and back. All graveyard hours (so no queues or arguments at chargers) but the chargers themselves aren't quite where I'd like them to be. Until Evie at Heathcote and/or Chargefox at Shell Cove are open, I'm hoping that nap time will coincide with visits to public AC chargers at Jax Warrawong or Kmart Figtree. It's a long way to Chargefox at Zetland (and it's unfortunate their car park is closed overnight, during the hours I drive). And it's really unfortunate the UoW charger at Fairy Meadow is CCS1.

 

[Wol747]

(Tin hat on) I think chargers in commuter carparks are not necessarily a great idea. Almost by definition cars parked in them stay during work hours, so the number of cars they can service is little more than the number of chargers. As time goes on there will be thousands of vehicles rather than the sprinkling we now see.
Better to place them in positions just outside convenient walking distance from stations - where you can get a quick top-up if necessary on the way home but not where you want to take up a space for 8 hours.

 

[Vostok]

(Tin hat on) I think chargers in commuter carparks are not necessarily a great idea. Almost by definition cars parked in them stay during work hours, so the number of cars they can service is little more than the number of chargers. As time goes on there will be thousands of vehicles rather than the sprinkling we now see.
Better to place them in positions just outside convenient walking distance from stations - where you can get a quick top-up if necessary on the way home but not where you want to take up a space for 8 hours.

I think the point is not putting in DCFCs at such locations, but Level 1 charging points. Gosh, even a 240V outlet or bollard 2.4 kW EVSE would be fine for people parking there for 8+ hours. Also means much cheaper to put in and dimensioning the electricity supply for the facility is manageable. It could easily be scaled with demand.

 

[Wol747]

>>It could easily be scaled with demand.<<

I think that's very optimistic. Train station commuter parks are occupied for a working day plus travel time usually, so it would be roughly one charger/one car. Installing hundreds of chargers or outlets is a massive investment.

 

[PC__LoadLetter]

I think that's very optimistic. Train station commuter parks are occupied for a working day plus travel time usually, so it would be roughly one charger/one car. Installing hundreds of chargers or outlets is a massive investment.

But that's the point. If it's done using a standard that permits V2G, then it can create a mammoth pool of on-grid cars that can be charged heavily and discharged slightly as grid oversupply or undersupply arises. People think they're getting a good deal with free railway station power, but in reality they're backing up the power grid during the entire workday.

 

[Vostok]

I think that's very optimistic. Train station commuter parks are occupied for a working day plus travel time usually, so it would be roughly one charger/one car. Installing hundreds of chargers or outlets is a massive investment.

But it’s going to take at least 20 years to change out the entire car fleet to EV. And not absolutely everyone will want to, or need to, charge while parking at such a facility (home charging is still a thing). Sounds very manageable to me.

 

[Vostok]

People think they're getting a good deal with free railway station power, but in reality they're backing up the power grid during the entire workday.

Not if they drive a Tesla ... at least not for the foreseeable future. Elon’s not a fan of V2G.

 

[OzVic]

Not if they drive a Tesla ... at least not for the foreseeable future. Elon’s not a fan of V2G.

I think he's more worried about the charge cycles / battery degradation / warranty costs.

Rumblings regarding Prof Dahn's recent L'ion discoveries is that degradation can almost be eliminated. If so, it may not be such an issue if and when such battery technologies are implemented.

 

[PC__LoadLetter]

Even if you don’t go full v2g, the grid can benefit from users that will gladly accept a dump of excess load, and that can also be quickly dialled down during brownouts.

 

[Shock-On-T]

This got lost in the news last week due to you-know-what

Voldemort?

 

[corndog]

I think he's more worried about the charge cycles / battery degradation / warranty costs.

I think Elon's mostly worried about losing powerwall sales. If their cars have V2G, then fewer people will want powerwalls.