WA's RAC electric-highway charging project ends despite rise in EVs
Not that there were many of them.
RAC general manager of external relations Will Golsby said there were about 80 electric cars in the state in 2015, when the highway first opened.
In surveys the RAC conducted 10 years ago, people were interested in EVs, but the number one concern was "range anxiety", the fear that the vehicles would be unusable outside of Perth because there was nowhere to charge them.
"The original intent of the electric highways was really to open Western Australia up and enable people from Perth to travel through the south-west and allow our regional members with electric vehicles to travel to Perth," Mr Golsby told Gary Adshead on ABC Radio Perth.
In 10 years, the number of fully electric vehicles in WA has grown to about 27,000, and there are about 150 charging stations across the state.
The state government has spent more than $43 million on subsidies to help people buy electric vehicles and committed $21 million to extending the charging network.
Mr Golsby said that, having demonstrated that owning an electric vehicle was a viable option in WA, the RAC had decided to move on, withdrawing from its involvement in the electric highway.
"We wanted to open up the state to EVs," he said.
"We believe there's been significant growth. We hope there will be more growth in electric vehicles."
For Australian Electric Vehicle Association (AEVA) president Chris Jones, it is the end of an era in the evolution of electric transport in WA.
It was Dr Jones, along with two others, who first pitched the idea of building the charging network to the RAC 10 years ago.
"It started because I was unemployed and looking for something to do. I wrote a 10-page document on how you would build charging in the south-west," Dr Jones said.
"We found the ideal spots and what the layout would look like, and we pitched it to anyone that would listen."
Many potential funders and government agencies said no, but the RAC took the idea seriously.
"They came back and said: 'You know what, this is absolutely something we should be supporting', and they did," Dr Jones said.
Dr Jones said he was not surprised the highway project had now come to an end.
The RAC purchased and installed electric-highway charging stations, but they were then owned and managed by local governments.
"Councils weren't prepared for what it took to look after this sort of equipment," Dr Jones said.
"You have to learn new skills, get familiar with new technology. You don't make much money from it."
Some of those stations will continue to operate on the Chargefox network, while others will close down.
In the popular south-west holiday spots of Busselton and Dunsborough, the council has decided not to continue running the charging stations.
City of Busselton Mayor Phill Cronin acknowledged the charging station in Dunsborough was popular.
"I don't think there's one time I've walked past and they're not being utilised," Cr Cronin said.
However, he said the council had decided the charging station was not in a great location and the technology was becoming outdated.
"It's just not something we feel that we should be taking on," he said, adding that a local shopping centre in Dunsborough had installed four fast charging stations in its car park, providing drivers with other options.
In the case of the Busselton charging station, the council is inviting expressions of interest from businesses who would like to take over the charger.
While it is the end of an era for electric driving in WA, the RAC said it had achieved what it set out to do.
"It was Australia's first. Other states now claim to have the bigger, larger, longer, wider highways, but certainly this was Australia's first," Mr Golsby said.
For AEVA, it was a major boost to its lobbying efforts in WA.
"Buoyed by [the electric highway], we put the effort into lobbying the WA government into building a decent charging network around the state," Dr Jones said.
"I think the next effort we will need to see in public charging will be workplace charging."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
3 hours ago
- West Australian
WA to be thunderstruck as AC/DC, Ed Sheeran, Ashes and WWE head to town from September
Bryan Adams might well claim the summer of '69 as the greatest, the summer of 2025 in WA is shaping as one to remember for sporting and musical diehards. AC/DC, Metallica, Ed Sheeran, the Ashes, and WWE are just some of the events scheduled for Optus Stadium and RAC Arena from September through to the end of January. Tourism representatives and the State Government this week salivated at the potential economic and social spinoffs to WA because the events. 'We want WA to remain the strongest economy in the nation. That's why we're diversifying our economy for the future by bringing big-name events to Perth that will attract thousands of visitors and pump millions into the local economy,' Acting Premier Rita Saffioti said. 'For every dollar spent on these events, we have a return of $3.50 — that's money going straight into the pockets of WA businesses. 'Importantly, these events put us on the global stage, positioning WA as an event destination. 'WA's summer of entertainment is going to be huge — and with a great line up to look forward to, there's something for everyone.' Optus Stadium chief executive Mike McKenna said the venue was preparing for its biggest ever summer, which followed its biggest ever month in June. 'From October to March, Optus Stadium will host concerts featuring three huge acts, the return of the blockbuster Bledisloe Cup, the hotly anticipated first Test of the NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes series, a One Day International between Australia and India and another big BBL season,' he said. 'Before the 2026 winter AFL season commences, the AFC Asian Women's Cup kicks off with the opening game at the Stadium, along with a semi final match.' Mr McKenna said Optus would stage some massive concerts in coming months. 'The stadium will transition to concert mode when heavy metal band Metallica brings their signature sound on November 1 as part of the M72 World Tour, with special guests Evanescence and Suicidal Tendencies,' Mr McKenna said. 'This will be Metallica's first visit to Australia in a decade and tickets have already sold out. 'AC/DC will then bring their global Power Up tour to the stadium . . . delivering a career spanning setlist packed with iconic anthems like Stadium favourite Thunderstruck. 'As soon as the BBL season ends, we will welcome global singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran back to Optus Stadium for the third time on January 31, 2026, as part of the Loop Tour.' Tourism WA managing director Anneke Brown said .enticing big events to Perth was part of 'a plan to grow the WA tourism sector'. 'Events are a key part of our plan to grow the WA tourism sector, as they drive bookings to our Dream State, add vibrancy to a destination and drive awareness of Western Australia as an incredible holiday and events destination through media coverage,' she said. Tourism Council WA boss Evan Hall said not all events were money spinners, but some were big economic boons for the State. 'For every 1000 interstate fans we entice to WA for major tourism events we create an additional $2.5M in the economy creating more than 15 jobs,' he said.
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
Mount Waverley home stuns with $2.33m auction result
A Mount Waverley home has fetched $2.33m after a six-way bidding war — smashing reserve by $280,000 — as desperate downsizers beat out younger families for one of the suburb's only move-in ready homes this weekend. The single-level four-bedroom home at 38 Windsor Ave, was one of 16 properties to go under the hammer in the prized school zone on Saturday, but stood alone in offering a fully renovated, single storey move-in-ready lifestyle with pool, alfresco deck and luxe interiors. Heavyside Boroondara auctioneer Steven Zervas said the campaign drew more than 80 inspections, with 30 people attending the auction and six active bidders vying for the keys. Where Melb homes sell in 22 days 'Bidding opened at $1.9m, right at the bottom of the guide, and once it hit the $2.05m reserve it just didn't stop,' Mr Zervas said. 'We had really strong depth and competitive energy.' Mr Zervas said the eventual buyers, a semi-retired couple who had been renting just around the corner after relocating from the UK had already missed out on two properties and weren't going to let this one go. 'The underbidders were also downsizers, and they were gutted,' he said. 'The rest of the competition came from younger families who were just as keen, this was a home that really crossed demographics.' Featuring a deluxe kitchen with dual ovens, multiple living zones, a designer ensuite, and a seamless indoor-outdoor layout anchored by a salt-chlorinated pool, the home was marketed as a luxury family entertainer with zero renovation required. 'This was the only turnkey house on the market this weekend,' Mr Zervas said. 'Everything else that went to auction for this type of asset was a unit, townhouse or a knockdown.' Mr Zervas said the result showed strong demand from buyers with 'zero appetite' for major renovations, especially among those chasing access to Mount Waverley Secondary College, Avila, Huntingtower and Wesley. 'With school enrolments on parents' minds, people are planning now, not waiting for spring,' he said. 'August and September are sweet spots. 'Once spring hits, your home could be one of 30 auctions on the same day.'
ABC News
8 hours ago
- ABC News
Australian Army's new Precision Strike Missile fired at NT's Mount Bundey during Exercise Talisman Sabre
The Australian Army has test fired its newest long-range missile for the first time, launching the weapon from a remote army training base in the Northern Territory. The Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), which can hit distant targets with minimal warning and high accuracy, was fired from the Mount Bundey Training Area, south-east of Darwin, on Friday. It hit its target over 300 kilometres away in four minutes and three seconds, reaching speeds of roughly 4,050 kilometres per hour — more than three times the speed of sound. Fired from US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), the PrSM can strike targets at distances of up to 500 kilometres with precision — a significant leap from the Australian Army's previous long-range strike range of just 30 kilometres. At a press conference at Mount Bundey on Friday, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said the new weapon marked the day the "Australian Army enters the missile age". "This is all about extending deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, all about signalling to any potential adversary that pain can be inflicted — all about deterring war through strength," he said. Developed for the United States Army, the PrSM was sent to Australia last month as part of a $310 million deal with the US. The deal locks in Australian access to munitions, technological advancements and the option for future domestic manufacturing and maintenance. The missile launch was conducted as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre, a joint military exercise involving more than 40,000 military personnel from 19 nations, including the US. This year marks the largest iteration of the exercise since it began in 2005 as a way to practice maritime operations, air combat and live-fire exercises with international partners. On Friday, the Secretary of the United States Army, Dan Driscoll, was more forthright in his assessment of where the message of deterrence was aimed at. "President Trump, [the United States Secretary of Defence] Pete Hegseth and the rest of the Pentagon team have been very clear that our pacing threat is China," he said. While the US Army's chief of staff, General Randy George, did not respond directly to questions about an imminent threat, or whether there were enhanced capabilities in China, he said keeping up with technological advancements was "what keeps us up at night". "What we are trying to do is to transform as rapidly as possible," he said. Alex Miller, the US Army's chief technology officer, said the PrSM's high speed halved the amount of warning time given to a potential enemy. He also said while the missile's explosion would not "level a city", its precision, driven by advanced navigation, was what made it lethal. "When you think about having six to seven minutes rather than 15 to 20 minutes, that's a lot less time for [a target] to pack up and roll out if they learn that they are being shot at," he said. In a statement from Mr Conroy's office, a spokesperson said future upgrades to the PrSM could include an extended strike range of over 1,000 kilometres, improved sensors and novel warheads.
