Australian politics spawns a thousand memes. Our beloved former prime minister fondled a lump of coal in federal parliament, and also declared that electric vehicles would ruin your weekend because they couldn’t tow a tinnie (small boat). That comment alone gave birth to the Facebook page “I Ruined the Weekend.” … [continued]
It all started with a bushfire. Emma Sutcliffe is a committed operational firefighter with the Country Fire Authority in Victoria. She was so committed in fact that she “sacrificed” her Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (plugin hybrid electric vehicle) to the flames during a grass fire at Little River. It was her … [continued]
The new buzz expression for Australian mining companies that are leaving fossil fuel assets behind to chase greater profits is: “future facing commodities.” No virtue signaling here — it’s all about long-term shareholder value. CEO Mike Henry told a Sept. 8 shareholder call: “The divestment of our petroleum business and … [continued]
Queenslanders are being surveyed about what incentives they need to move to an electric vehicle. When I bought my Tesla Model 3 three years ago (with no government incentives), my major reason was to help reduce the impacts of climate change. Since driving an EV, I have discovered that it … [continued]
As the great temples to the worship of coal slowly close, it is obvious that we have gone back in time and once again worship the sun. Ra would be impressed. In Australia, a report by Energy Resource Insights declares that coal-fired power stations in Queensland will close decades earlier … [continued]
“Not interested — I’ve got a cruiser.” That was the answer I received as off grid exponents tramped through the mud past my low-slung sexy Model 3. Not interested. And no wonder. My Tess was probably the most inappropriate electric vehicle to have at The Goomeri Off Grid Expo in … [continued]
How can I charge my electric vehicle if I have to use on-street parking? The answer is staring us in the face. All those ugly power poles in older, inner city suburbs can now be put to good use under an innovative project funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency … [continued]
We’ve all done it — you kick the tyres, rev the engine, check the body panels, and take it for a drive. If you are really knowledgeable, you might listen for piston slap or do a compression test. But, what if the car is electric? How do you know if … [continued]
In the Toyota transition, will job security be an unintended victim? Electric vehicle production requires a smaller human workforce than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle production. This allows for a greater use of robots and therefore increases profitability. Toyota’s President Akio Toyoda has been a strong advocate for job security … [continued]
The Block is a popular reality TV show in Australia. This year they took on the challenge of renovating and building six luxury homes in the middle of winter in Victoria, off grid. Six houses, each on 10 acres. It was a tree change with a sustainability twist. The original … [continued]
