Solar panels could simplify charging electric vehicles in the outback with some prior planning

Away from major cities, people in remote areas of Australia can sometimes struggle to ensure basic energy security, let alone install a fast charger for an electric car.

But just getting them that technology poses a major challenge, according to the National Roads and Motorists Association (NRMA).

The NRMA’s energy arm and the federal government are jointly funding the $90 million rollout of 137 fast chargers across rural and regional Australia.

NRMA Energy chief executive Carly Irving-Dolan said the company had faced many obstacles.

“Basically the main barrier is network constraint,” she said.

“In other areas, for example, where we’re going to build (these chargers), there’s actually no electricity.”

Experts, such as Scott Dwyer from the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney, reiterate the challenges of charging an entire car battery in the bush.

“Power grids may be unreliable or not connected to the grid,” Dr Dwyer said.

Dr Dwyer highlighted that many remote communities also struggled to access clean energy to power their electric cars.

Many small towns in the Northern Territory, for example, are powered by gas with diesel backup.

Several companies are now working on “new” solutions to the problem.

Fast charging from clean energy

A former mining services company that wants to contribute to the renewable energy revolution is working on charging prototypes for the hinterland.

At a glance, the Linked Group Service prototype looks like a giant steel awning.

It has solar panels, a battery to store the renewable energy it generates, a backup diesel generator and outlets to plug in multiple cars.

The canopy could technically be installed anywhere and not be connected to existing power grids.

“It will provide fast charging facilities in regional or very remote locations where there are network constraints, or no network at all,” said co-founder Jason Sharam.

“What we’re trying to do is put together a much faster charger that uses as much clean energy as possible.

The Mackay-based company will this month install its prototype in a small Northern Territory town called Erldunda, along the Stuart Highway – one of the longest roads in the country.

She’s doing this in tandem with the NRMA to see if her prototype could be a solution to the organization’s remote highway plan.

“It’s very new,” Mr. Sharam said.

The arrival of the charging prototype at Erldunda also coincides with the World Solar Challenge, an annual race of cars powered by renewable energy across the hinterland which begins at the end of October.

How do people currently charge on the Stuart Highway?

There are already electric car charging points on the Stuart Highway, which stretches about 2,700km from the top of the country in tropical Darwin to South Australia.

However, most are based in major centers like Alice Springs, Darwin and Katherine, and not all are capable of fast charging, according to crowdsourced website for car chargers PlugShare.

Alice Springs resident Hunter Murray sometimes takes his Tesla down this long stretch of highway for business trips to Yulara, the town near Uluru.

“It’s a little bit of planning and it’s a big day,” he said.

The journey to Yulara from Alice Springs is 446 km (one way) and takes approximately 4.5 hours. Even if fully powered, Mr. Murray’s car cannot go the distance without falling flat.

To get around this, it usually stops at Erldunda.