Fuel retailers will soon face their own “Kodak moment”, with experts forecasting electric vehicles will be cheaper than petrol cars as early as 2025. Tritium chief executive Jane Hunter said electric vehicles would cost less than internal combustion cars within three to four years. “So that’s about 2025 where that kicks in. Bloomberg NEF is saying 2025 for light vans and 2026 for passenger vehicles and SUVs,” said Ms Hunter, whose company manages more than 5000 electrical vehicle charging stations globally. Tritium chief executive Jane Hunter told The Australian Financial Review Infrastructure Summit that electric vehicles will be cheaper than cars with petrol engines within three to four years. Louie Douvis Ms Hunter said electric vehicle prices were falling thanks to the declining cost of batteries, which are one of the most expensive components of an electric car. “[The battery] has been at 50 per cent of the cost of the EV…

The chief executive of electric vehicle charging infrastructure company Evie Networks says a deal with Rich Lister Jack Cowin’s Hungry Jack’s fast food chain is a forerunner of a “paradigm shift” in its early stages where convenient sites in cities will gradually replace a traditional trip to a service station. Chris Mills says convenience is the No.1 priority for electric vehicle owners, most of whom will continue to recharge vehicles at home or in the workplace. Putting fast-charging infrastructure at locations such as quick-service restaurants, libraries or local council hubs, which are part of the normal patterns of daily life, is central to the continued trialling of the best locations. “It’s what people will find the most convenient to get to,” Mr Mills said. “It’s unshackling drivers from in essence being a prisoner to a petrol station,” he said. The first of the fast-charging units is located at the Hungry Jack’s outlet at…

Visitors to Tasmania now have a new option to travel in quiet, zero-emissions style, with car rental Drive Car Hire adding a number of  Tesla Model 3s to its fleet. Unveiling the new lineup on Thursday, the company says it is adding the dual-motor, Long Range Model 3s to its Hobart fleet with more vehicles to follow in early 2022. Tasmania is known for its pro-environmental stance, and in 2020 achieved 100% renewable energy status thanks to a combination of hydroelectricity, wind and solar energy sources. This, and its stunning unique landscapes, have made the island state a magnet for tourists. So much so that hire cars have reportedly been hard to secure at times. SOURCE: DRIVE CAR HIRE With a number of new charging infrastructure rollouts including Australia’s first V3 Tesla Supercharger at the port city of Devonport, as well as ultra-fast chargers such as this one at an Ampol service…

A network of shops on the Gold Coast is selling black market tobacco as part of a nationwide racket which authorities say is largely organised by crime syndicates A NETWORK of shops on the Gold Coast is selling black market tobacco as part of a nationwide racket largely organised by crime syndicates, politicians and authorities say. And it is costing taxpayers about $1bn a year. A Bulletin investigation identified eight outlets where illegal tobacco is allegedly being sold. None of the shops have a presence online or advertise their products, but have a steady stream of customers. Fifteen customers entered one shop in 10 minutes shortly after noon on a weekday. Many of those customers emerged carrying products wrapped in white plastic bags. Sources say the bags contained “chop chop” (illegal tobacco) which is being sold for as little as $69 for 100 grams. By comparison, 100g of Rothmans Blue,…

bp and Daimler Truck AG today announced plans to work together to help accelerate the introduction of a hydrogen network, supporting the roll-out of a key technology for the decarbonization of UK freight transport. They intend to pilot both the development of hydrogen infrastructure and the introduction of hydrogen-powered fuel-cell trucks in the UK. Under their memorandum of understanding (MoU), bp will assess the feasibility of designing, constructing, operating and supplying a network of up to 25 hydrogen refuelling stations across the UK by 2030. These stations would be supplied by bp with ‘green’ hydrogen – generated from water using renewable power. Complementing this, Daimler Truck expects to deliver hydrogen-powered fuel-cell trucks to its UK customers from 2025. Emma Delaney, bp’s executive vice president for customer and products, said: “Hydrogen is critical to decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors – and for heavy and long-distance freight it is sometimes the only answer. Working with…