Sunshine state wants electric vehicles to power ahead Monday, 31 July 2017

The Queensland Government has announced it is creating an electric super highway, allowing electric vehicles to travel all the way from the Gold Coast to Cairns.

Environment Minister and Acting Main Roads Minister Steven Miles announced 18 fast-charging electric vehicle stations which will be rolled out along the route so drivers can comfortably get from one point to the next.

“This project is ambitious, but we want as many people as possible on board the electric vehicle revolution, as part of our transition to a low emissions future,” the Minister said.

"They will be available for use at no cost for the initial phase of the super highway so we can encourage as many people as possible to start using them.”

He was also keen to point out that the energy supplied in the fast-charging stations would be green energy purchased through green energy credits or offsets.

"EVs can provide not only a reduced fuel cost for Queenslanders, but an environmentally-friendly transport option, particularly when charged from renewable energy,” he said.

"The most recent Queensland Household Energy Survey showed that 50% of Queenslanders will consider an electric vehicle, plug-in hybrid or regenerative braking hybrid, when purchasing a new car in the next two years and that majority said improvements to public fast-charging infrastructure would further tempt them into purchasing an EV,” he said.

Behyad Jafari, CEO of the Electric Vehicle Council, welcomed the announcement.

“This initial support from government serves as a signal that Queensland is serious about electric vehicles; providing the opportunity for investment to grow our economy and create new, high skilled jobs,” Jafari said.

“I encourage all governments across Australia to follow suit and provide motorists with the support needed to promote electric vehicle uptake.”

Paul Sansom, Managing Director of Audi Australia, said fast-charging infrastructure is of paramount importance to the future success of Electric Vehicles in Australia.”

“With the vast distances in between our capital cities, consumers need to have confidence that they will be able to find a charging station when they need it, even if they’re driving in an unfamiliar region," said Sansom.

"This is the current expectation around frequency of petrol stations, and it’s – rightly – what consumers will demand as EVs become more prevalent.

The Australian heads of BMW, Hyundai, Jaguar, Mercedes and Mitsubishi also expressed support for the announcement.

The fast-charging stations will be located in Cairns, Tully, Townsville, Bowen, Mackay, Carmila, Marlborough, Rockhampton, Miriam Vale, Childers, Maryborough, Cooroy, Brisbane, Helensvale, Coolangatta, Springfield, Gatton and Toowoomba.

[The Audi e-tron Sportback electric vehicle concept. Image: Audi]