Tuesday, 9 June 2009

The organiser of the Sustainable Energy Expo , Exibit Exhibitions & Publishing Pty Ltd, invited the UWA REV team to show off their electric vehicle. The Expo ran for three days at the Perth Convention Centre and the stand was staffed by students involved in the project.

REV team was given a premium position, in the foyer of the exhibition centre next to the Expo entrance. This ensured that all of the approximately 12,000 people that attended were exposed to the project as they queued to purchase their entry tickets and most visitors took an interest in the project.

This gave the team a great opportunity to raise public awareness of electric vehicle technology as well as showcasing a highly successful undergraduate team project to the general public and future UWA students. One exhibitor has expressed an interest in donating a new vehicle to the project.

Unlike any other technology, electric vehicles give the user control over how the vehicle is powered while offering a substantial reduction in daily travel costs. The REV team uses solar energy to run its vehicle. If charging off the grid the vehicle would cost is 3.3 cents per km using standard grid power or 4.3 cents per km if purchasing zero emissions energy.

The original petrol vehicle costs 11 cents per km to run at current fuel prices. The vehicle also has a range of 80km from a single charge, which is twice the average daily distance travelled in Western Australia. This goes a long way to demonstrating that electric vehicle technology is now viable in the urban commuter context.

Electric vehicles are an important development for a number of reasons.  The user can choose to eliminate the greenhouse gas travel emissions. A fall in exhaust emissions delivered at the street level will bring public health benefits. Finally, a reduced dependency upon foreign oil supplies will boosts short and long term economic security.

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