The Queensland Labor government has marked the arrival of the 500th electric vehicle to join its publicly owned car fleet service and announced plans to make it 3,000 EVs by 2026.
The Palaszczuk government announced the new milestone for its QFleet on Friday and claims that, with another 850 EVs on order, it stands to have the largest battery EV fleet in the nation.
State energy minister Mick de Brenni said the fleet’s 500th EV was a Polestar 2, which has been added to a pool of vehicles driven by frontline hospital and health staff across the Sunshine Coast.
The EVs bought by the Queensland government will include a range of makes and models, and used by a range of frontline workers including health professionals, educators, community workers, park rangers and building professionals as well as police and emergency services personnel.
And when the electric vehicles are retired from QFleet, de Brenni says they will be used to boost the state’s second-hand EV market, offering more market-choice at lower prices.
On the EV infrastructure side of the equation, the Palaszczuk government also announced on Friday that the Queensland Electric Super Highway would have at least 53 publicly owned fast-chargers in place by the end of this year and a further 46 by the end of 2024.
An additional 2,500 chargers will be installed at government buildings over coming next three years, too, the minister said, including around 500 available for public use at sites like hospitals, theatres and convention centres.
As part of this rollout, Park ‘n’ Plug EV chargers will be trialled at carparks at Eight Mile Plains bus station and Coomera train station, allowing commuters to charge their electric cars while at work.
“We know Queenslanders are taking up EVs at an unprecedented rate, wit a 132 per cent increase in the last year alone. But we also want Queenslanders to know there’s a charger where and when they need it,” de Brenni said.
“That’s why we’re ensuring no matter where Queenslanders live or work, there’ll be infrastructure there to support them, with $52 million dedicated to installing an extra 2,500 charging stations and new system solutions over three years.
“Our aim is that most Queenslanders will never be more than 150km away from a free-use, publicly funded charger, enabling easier access and longer journeys.”
Jake Whitehead, head of policy at the Electric Vehicle Council, welcomed the news that the Queensland government was purchasing thousands of EVs for its own fleet.
“As we know this will not only reduce emissions but will also create a strong second-hand EV market for Queenslanders to benefit from when these cars are sold to the public in the next few years.”
Sophie is editor of One Step Off The Grid and deputy editor of its sister site, Renew Economy. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.