Summary
26 March 2012
Australia's first electric car charging station has opened in the city of Melbourne. It takes about five hours to charge each vehicle, but costs a fraction of the price of petrol. Those behind the project say it has huge potential to provide carbon neutral transport in Australia.
Reporter
Phil Mercer
Will electric cars gain popularity in Australia?
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Report
Australia, the world's largest exporter of coal, is addicted to fossil fuels, which generate most of its electricity and drives much of its transport system.
In the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick, conservationists say a small but significant step has been taken towards a cleaner energy future.
Australia's first solar power charging station for electric cars has been switched on. It takes up to 5 hours to fully replenish a battery that allows an average vehicle to travel about 150kms.
As the technology improves, it's hoped that batteries could eventually be fully charged within half and hour.
Environmentalists say that Australia has been slow to embrace electric cars compared to other countries because of what they describe as "serious cultural and political resistance" to change.
Petrol prices recently hit US$1.60 a litre here. If those costs continue to rise then Australia's indifference to electric-powered vehicles could begin to change.
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Vocabulary
- exporter
dealer who sells something abroad
- fossil fuels
material taken from the ground and converted to energy
- drives
powers
- energy
generated power
- solar power
energy from the sun's rays
- switched on
started
- replenish
renew
- slow to embrace
late in accepting
- resistance
to change
- indifference to
lack of interest in
