28 November 2011 – The wheel has turned more than 100 years to an electric car comeback in Sydney. The City of Sydney’s connection with electric garbage trucks and vehicles dates back to the early 1900s.
“It’s hard to believe electric cars were so incredibly popular in the early 1900s but disappeared when petrol vehicles came along and people wanted to travel greater distances and were basically ignorant of the adverse impacts effect on the planet,” Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.
As the council prepares to tender for up to 12 new electric car charging stations to be installed next year across the city, the Lord Mayor commented:”in effect, we’re turning back the clock as electric cars make a comeback.”
The charge points will be in the Kings Cross parking station, Goulburn Street parking station and two street level car parks on Cope Street, Redfern and Wilson Street, Newtown.
“Electric cars are the way of the future and will help Council reduce carbon dioxide emissions from its vehicles by 20 per cent by 2014,” the Lord Mayor said.
“We’re already trialling two of the first production electric cars available in Australia, recharged by electricity from 240 solar panels on the roof of Sydney Town Hall.
“Council vehicles used for site inspections will be replaced with up to 50 zero emission electric cars over the next few years and we’re encouraging business and residents to do likewise.”
The City also has 49 hybrid cars, 20 diesel-electric hybrid trucks and 84 maintenance and garbage trucks fitted with environmentally-friendly exhaust systems and filters.
Australia’s first public electric vehicle charging station was installed in Derby Place, Glebe last year. It charges a plug-in Prius operated by GoGet car share, and is used by more than 500 residents and businesses in Glebe.
Electric vehicles create no polluting petrol fumes, less noise and, when powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, no greenhouse gas emissions. Electric vehicles already in Australia are capable of travelling for at least 100 kilometres per charge and can reach speeds of more than 100 kilometres an hour.
They don’t need oil or petrol and cost less than 15 per cent of the fuelling cost of a normal car. A small car running on petrol costs around $9.10 per 100 kilometres compared to an electric car cost of about $1.32 per 100 kilometres.
Motor manufacturers are tipping up to a third of global sales by 2020 will be electric and “green” cars.
The NSW Government recently committed to establishing a working party to consider urgently issuing a technical direction to reserve on-street parking bays for recharging stations, as requested by the Office of Environment and Heritage, Google, the City, NRMA and major property developers. The working party will also establish technical guidelines for councils.