One of the great unanswered questions of electric motoring has been where and how drivers will recharge their cars. At Belconnen Fresh Food Markets in Canberra and at the Central Market in South Australia, some of Australia’s first charge spots have been installed.

Electrifying Canberra

Electrical and communications engineering firm O’Donnell Griffin installed the charge spot at the Belconnen Markets on behalf of its client Better Place, an electric vehicle network and services provider.

The charge spot provides drivers with the ability to charge the battery of an electric vehicle with renewable energy, powered by ActewAGL.

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Better Place has plans to roll out an electric vehicle charge network nationally, with the initial deployment of the network infrastructure commencing in Canberra in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Head of Deployment at Better Place, Geoff Zippel, says: “The Better Place network will make it easy, affordable and attractive for motorists to adopt and drive electric vehicles. The charge spot in Belconnen is the first ‘metal in the ground’ for Better Place in Canberra, and a significant and exciting milestone.”

Chief Executive Officer at O’Donnell Griffin, David Rafter, says: “The reality of electric vehicles moving into the Australian market and overtaking their fossil fuel rivals has reached a significant milestone with the installation of one of Australia’s first public network charge spots in Canberra.”

Adelaide a-buzz

In South Australia, a collaboration between the State Government and the Adelaide City Council has seen the installation of an Australian-made solid oxide fuel cell with electric vehicle charging stations.

Solid oxide fuel cells are made up of hundreds of thin ceramic layers, which once stacked together and heated to very high temperatures, are able to conduct electricity. In this instance, the cell is used to provide electricity for the charging stations.

Located at the Central Market in Adelaide, two electric vehicle charging bollards, operated by ChargePoint – will be free to users and are part of South Australia's push for an energy efficient transport future.

The electricity-generating fuel cell and charging stations will operate in a multi-storey public car park, providing a solution to the energy demands of electric vehicles.

Chief Executive Officer at ChargePoint James Brown says the installation of the networked charging stations marks a milestone for South Australians.

“Electric vehicle users will need convenient sites where they can re-fuel their cars and bikes, and the Central Market is one of them. This initiative builds upon Adelaide’s leadership with Tindo – the world’s first solar electric bus – and the city’s fleet of electric cars and motorcycles,” says Mr Brown.

Operation of the charging stations involves use of a network card, available from ChargePoint, and stations are fully monitored. Furthermore, drivers are notified by SMS or email when their vehicles are fully charged or if there is an issue with the charging.