Australian-made all electric vehicle launched

An all-electric delivery van, assembled entirely by a local team of engineers and technicians, has officially launched in Australia.

The 3.9 metre-long Cargo vanette is the first prototype in a series of vehicles planned by Australian Clean Energy Electric Vehicle Group (ACE-EV).

According to a ACE-EV spokesperson, the Cargo can carry up to half a tonne in weight, and has the potential to lower greenhouse emission by 70 per cent and running costs by 85 per cent.

“It has a 33 kilowatt an hour battery with capabilities of up to 250 kilometers on a single charge with a partial payload — along with a maximum power output of 45 kilowatt an hour from the motor,” the spokesperson said.

“At the core of the vehicle’s design is lightweight carbon-fibre reinforced plastic monocoque, designed for fleet owners with a price tag of $39,995.”

ACE-EV plan to assemble 100 of the vans for its first manufacturing run this year.

“If there is enough interest this will be ramped up to 600 in 2020 and 3000 the year after,” the spokesperson said.

“While the accolades are already starting to come in, with an Innovation Award from Queensland’s Motor Trades Association, this plan comes with a caveat – if Australian fleet buyers don’t get on board, production may go overseas.”

Currently the only all-electric vehicles available in Australia are from international manufacturers Tesla, BMW, Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Jaguar, and Hyundai.

The Electric Vehicle Council said Australia lags behind the rest of the world in its uptake, and as of December last year New Zealand had four thousand more electric vehicles on its roads than Australia.