Queensland’s leadership in electric vehicle technology has helped set EV plug policy for the whole of Australia.
Because the state was first to roll out charging stations, it has determined which plug most EVs sold in Australia will subsequently use.
It also means Queensland has become a hub for South Korean investment. Car manufacturer Hyundai has praised the sunshine state for its technological innovation.
The company is now planning to manufacture vehicles powered by both electricity and hydrogen in Queensland.
Electric vehicle technology plug policy, then hydrogen industry development
Queensland keeps moving ahead while other states remain in neutral, Hyundai claims.
South Korea wants to develop its hydrogen industry in Australia because the country lacks the necessary land area at home.
As a result, it wants to partner with a large-scale solar installation in Queensland. South Korea can then power the process of electrolysis through water that produces hydrogen.
Queensland is able to lead the pack in developing a major hydrogen industry. This is because the state is moving ahead with large-scale solar plants as well as electric vehicle technology.
According to the Clean Energy Council (CEC), Queensland leads Australia in utility-scale solar projects. The state accounts for $2.6 billion of the nation’s $5 billion investment in large-scale solar.
Hydrogen powered cars clean air as they drive
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is currently in South Korea exploring ways to develop an Australian hydrogen industry.
She likens it the birth of the LNG industry. Initially thought fanciful, it’s now a multi-billion dollar industry she says. She wants Queensland to manufacture and export hydrogen.
Hydrogen powered cars have a unique feature. They actually purify the air as the vehicle runs. According to advice, the Premier says 100,000 such vehicles would purify air in the capital Seoul within two hours.
Emissions-free hydrogen fuel is also ideal for large trucks and buses where the large, bulky batteries needed are impractical.
Charge EVs from home solar and save money
The price of electric vehicles will continue to fall, as it did with solar panels. This is good news for owners of domestic solar installations who can charge their EV at home using their own solar power and the latest electric vehicle technology.
EVs can charge off home solar panel systems for little or even no cost, according to Australia’s Electric Vehicle Council.
Addition of solar storage batteries like sonnen or the Tesla Powerwall means cars can be charged overnight with stored solar.
