Why Electric Vehicles

Electric  vehicles were defeated by internal combustion engine vehicles 100 years ago. Why are they coming back? Some of them have good acceleration, but they are expensive, the electricity to charge them is generated from coal, the range is low, they take a long time to recharge, there is not enough charging infrastructure, and the grid won’t cope with the increased demand for electricity. Some of these claims are not entirely true. Peter drives an electric car, and will discuss how much CO2 is emitted, how that compares to his house, how far he drives each day, how often he recharges, where he recharges, what it costs, and how it impacts the electricity grid.

Peter has been involved in designing, building and racing solar cars since 1993, and is a member of the Science Faculty of the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. In 2010 he led a team that drove a small custom-built electric car 28,000 km around the world using $400 worth of renewable electricity. In 2010 he led projects with the automotive industry planning for the introduction of electric vehicles into Australia. He is currently working on projects to integrate flexible loads such as EVs into a grid powered by variable renewable energy.

Registration is free.

Members and visitors are welcome.

Please join us for refreshments and networking from12:15 pm before the event.

For further details contact Geoff Jansen or Don Grigg (8266 3664).

IET/IEEE RETIRED ENGINEERS GROUP

Founded in 1980 by IEE SA&NT. Since 2007, a joint initiative with the IEEE SA Section Life Member Affinity Group.

Host or Publisher IET/IEEE RETIRED ENGINEERS GROUP