Preparing for the future: Electric Vehicles
22 May 2018
WGE:
Electric Vehicles (EVs) are
here. With some two million EVs already on the
roads worldwide, they are
increasingly becoming part of the discussion regarding Australia’s
transportation.
Whether EVs will be as dramatic a change as the Model T was to the horse
and cart is still yet to be determined. What is clear is that the rise
of both EVs along with hybrid technologies, in combination with
increased vehicle autonomy, will shape the way we plan for transport
within our cities and towns.
Like everything we do at Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE), we’re looking at
ways we can counter that issue now – rather than waiting for the
population to demand a solution. It’s a significant reason behind why we
recently introduced our new Transportation Engineering
team out of
Melbourne.
“At the moment the uptake of EVs is modest, owing to price
considerations, range and recharging infrastructure,” Senior
Transportation Engineer David Trotter said.
“It’s hard to say exactly when the uptake of EVs will begin to become
part of the mainstream conversation, but what we do know is that when it
does we want our cities and towns to have the flexibility to respond to
the changes that this brings.
“WGE is working with clients across multiple disciplines to provide
flexibility and ‘future proof’ developments to respond to increasing
uptake of EVs. From a practical perspective, we’re actioning items such
as installing EV share points, pre-planning infrastructure elements such
as three phase electric power/wiring to enable charge points to be
installed at a later date, as well as advocating for the inclusion of EV
share points in future developments.”
Federal Minister for Energy and the Environment, Josh Frydenberg MP, is
predicting as many as one million EVs on Australian
roads by 2030, with the biggest surge happening in the next seven
years*.
As such, it’s easy to understand the demand for infrastructure will come
fast and hard as the EV population grows.
“EVs in Australia are currently the domain of innovators and early
adopters,” David said.
“Last year, Volvo was the first major car manufacturer to announce that
it will stop producing cars and SUVs powered solely by internal
combustion engines from 2019. With these sort of announcements and
technological advancements over time we will continue to see an increase
in the adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles.
“The key thing is to recognise emerging market trends in this space and
to work with clients to best meet their expectations and that of
motorists.”
As a multi-disciplinary engineering firm, WGE can provide a one-stop
shop. The Transportation team works closely in collaboration with other
disciplinary teams within the organisation, to provide the best solution
for our clients.
WGE’s Transportation services increase and improve the understanding of
development impacts of existing and proposed road networks, particularly
how those networks are safely engaging with the community. Headed up by
Section Manager James Brownlie, the team oversees the functional design,
operation and management of transportation facilities.
--ENDS--
Source: Wood & Grieve Engineers - www.wge.com.au
Contact: N/A
External Links: https://issuu.com/woodandgrieve/docs/transportation_engineering_final
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