Giles Parkinson is founder and editor of The Driven, and also edits and founded the Renew Economy and One Step Off The Grid web sites. He has been a journalist for nearly 40 years, is a former business and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review, and owns a Tesla Model 3.

The electric cars that helped keep the lights on when giant coal generator tripped

Ballycroft winery V2G connection utilising Nissan Leaf. Image:

A group of 16 electric cars in Canberra have given a world-first demonstration of their ability to help prevent blackouts during a major grid emergency in February.

2 min

Australian EV charging start-up raises $4 million seeks more to expand manufacturing

Evos - founded by former Tritium executives - has raised $4 million and is seeking another $6 million to help expand its manufacturing capabilities in home and fleet products.

3 min

Charging

Old apartment blocks struggling to support charging needs of EV adopters

Australians are eager to invest in low-emission cars but are being held back by the lack of support for EV charging stations within their apartment buildings.

6 min

Electric vehicle charging in apartments: Five things to consider

Over 2.5 million Australians live in apartments and as EV uptake continues to ramp up, many Owners Committees will find themselves tackling the task of retrofitting apartment buildings with EV chargers.

4 min

Charging

End of an Era: WA’s privately funded first rural fast DC charger has done its job

From diesel to frying fat, and despite the Russian trolls, the first rural DC fast charger in Australia's biggest state has done its job.

2 min

Charging

Too good to be missed: An entire school electric bus fleet is sending power the grid

Zum has a goal of electrifying 10,000 bi-directional school buses across the country with the potential to supply 300 GWh of energy to the power grids annually.

3 min

What’s the real risk from electric vehicles in apartments?

The real risk to existing apartment buildings from EV charging isn’t fire. It’s that pretty soon, failure to support EV charging for residents will damage property values and rental returns.

3 min

Charging

Batteries on wheels: Energy retailer Amber launches trial for bi-directional EV charging

Emerging energy retailer Amber Electric to trial electric vehicle (EV) smart charging and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) services with residential customers.

4 min

A tale of two remote off-grid EV fast chargers: The wondering and the woeful

Having a diesel generator start up and blow smoke through a Roadhouse is not a good look for NRMA's new remote standalone charging stations. They have to do better.

4 min

The good, the great, and the really bad: A review of an EV charging network

We did a tour of the newly upgraded RAA charging network. They are mostly great, and one even includes sideways parking for those EVs towing something. But one key site is a big disappointment.

Charging