i MiEV gets the nod for Australia

By Matt Brogan | April 08th, 2009

The Federal Government has given Mitsubishi’s i MiEV the nod to drive on Australian roads.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said the all-electric car, which today passed its 83 ADR safety requirements, brought Australia a step closer to emissions-free driving.

“If powered by 100 per cent green energy (the car) would result in no emissions,” Mr Albanese said. “Given that 85 per cent of Australians drive less than 100km a day, this vehicle would suit the lifestyles of most in our community. Australia is the most urbanised country on earth – most of our citizens live in our cities around the coast. In terms of dealing with issues of reducing carbon pollution … but also the effect of smog in our cities, the effect of noise pollution, all of those are advantaged by this vehicle.”

While the initial cost of the car was higher than comparable vehicles, long-term savings could be made without petrol bills.

“The Government has not been asked to provide incentives – this is a commercial operation by Mitsubishi,” Mr Albanese said.

Mitsubishi in Japan will enter large-scale production in June for the domestic market, but approval to sell the car in Australia has yet to be granted. Todays ADR pass brings that approval one step closer.

swampdawg

Congratulations Mitsubishi, it is going to sell well,
Maybe you could let Holden assemble some under license, i believe they are scratching their heads at the moment.
Casey

Agreed! It’s good to see Mitsubishi, Subaru (Stella) electircs and Honda (Insight) hybrid making some big steps forward.

Finally some serious rivals to a Toyota Prius!

I also heard a Honda Jazz Hybrid is in the pipeline too. Anyone else hear that one?
Lazybones

Sorry not Korean enough for Holden to assemble it
Bret

“If powered by 100 per cent green energy…”

And just where do we find that Mr Albanese??

Toxic_Horse

From the solar pannels on my roof.

Vid_Ghost

Bret 85% of Tasmania’s electricity is from green energy with most of it coming from hydro electric plants.

That’s almost at that 100% green energy mark.

Unfortunately the rest of Australia is burning coal that is plentiful and causing the slow transition to solar powered farms, wind, hydro and thermal power, Nuclear is still not off the table but unlikely. at the moment most of our plants are being upgraded to clean coal energy. Which is simply the same outcome but with a reduction in smog, nothing clean about it
Flying High

I wonder what the expected bill is to fill ‘er up so to speak from the electric plug. i.e. how many kW hours does it take from a flat battery and how long does it take. Naturally costs a bit more if you have been scammed into actually paying for energy from ‘green’ sources.

And just out of interest, what happens if you run out of charge on the road – how does the road side assist respond? A tow home I guess…?
Flying High

Notwithstanding my above post, I believe it would be an attractive buy at the right price, but, like the Priass, I suspect the price will be too high to make it very attractive.
Lazybones

“And just where do we find that Mr Albanese?? ”

From any supplier who offers 100% Green Energy Acreditation (Origin,True Energy do this), or you could contact http://www.goingsolar.com.au.
Bret

Lazy – you simply cannot buy 100% zero emission electricity in Australia. That’s a reality.

And BTW do you know how much energy it takes to produce a solar panel?
http://skyline The Salesman

Any word CA on Better Place? Will the Miev even be combatable for a swap and go battery station?
Rick

Well I hope it isn’t too expensive with a range of 160 km it would be pretty useful.

The sooner we can get away from those thieving, robbing Oil companies the better off we’ll all be. I’d rather use dirty coal than dirty Oil and add to the outrageous bottom lines these companies have been making over the decades.
Lazybones

“Lazy – you simply cannot buy 100% zero emission electricity in Australia. That’s a reality.”

http://www.originenergy.com.au/1544/Origin-GreenPower

Whats important is its approved by Green energy.

“And BTW do you know how much energy it takes to produce a solar panel? ”

Yes, but before you start with the unfounded argument which started on here a while back, that no solar panel has ever covered its energy footprint. The payback is less than 5 years, for a standard PV Solar panel.

Whats going on Bret? your normally a lot sharper than this mate
Lazybones

What i’d like to see Rick is charging points every 5KMs on major freeways. Given there is already power there for lights and signage. This should be a relative cheap way to set up a charging network.

But before we give Opec the flick, you can bet your bottom dollar they will not take the threat of EV’s lying down. The Saudi oil minister has already started speaking out.
Reckless1

Lazybones, you missed the last part of your sentence – please add “of his ****”

Green electricity – I’d like to find some of that. No matter what the tree huggers say, there is no green electricity in Australia. Tasmania and the Snowy hydro electricity is green say some, but that’s rubbish – the building of the dams cost a fortune and the dams leave a blot on the landscape. Show me a full lake that’s not in Qld, show me a river that flows after a dam is built – they are all virtually waterless or silted through lack of flow to flush them.
lazybones

“please add “of his ****” Very good and bloody true Reckless

I think if you did deep enough you’ll find nothing is truely green there is always a compromise somewhere. But i’d vote for hydro over nuclear. And some even include nuclear in the green power argument.

For now its about Co2 reduction, if and when we get there. And its a big IF given our rapid population growth. We can hope technologies like Fusion have taken off, which seem to be the last word in green energy.
Shak

Thank god for this approval, now someone can kill of that lie of a car the saviour, the one the only, Prius. These electric cars are actually electric and will really bring emissions free motoring to the masses, unlike the Prius which was just for Lindsay, Hilton and all those other celebs. Good on Mitsubishi. Now if only they could come back down under, then order to the world would be restored.
Bret

Lazy, I didn’t think you would be that niave.
Don’t you know anyone in the power industry?
Do you know what it takes to be “approved green energy”?

Just how long do you think it takes to go from the raw material to finished solar panel: hours, days, weeks?
It’s a long energy intensive process that uses some of the worlds nastiest chemicals.

Have you even seen the outside of a solar production facility, let alone been inside one a seen the process?

The next solar panel to recover it’s entire energy
footprint will be the first!

That said, I am 100% behind solar generation of power, and cost effectiveness is on the rise.
Allan

good on them for getting the approval. now can they please bring in the petrol version first whilst we wait for the electric one to arrive.
Lazybones

“Just how long do you think it takes to go from the raw material to finished solar panel: hours, days, weeks?
It’s a long energy intensive process that uses some of the worlds nastiest chemicals.”

That is true of any manufacturing process from Oil to Silcon chips for the computer your using right now. Name a clean manufacturing process would be easier.. hmm maybe Manufacturing a burger, nope plenty of nasty chemicals in that process… you should check out the discovery show “How its made”.

“Don’t you know anyone in the power industry?” Yes, I got onto the mates rates for Tru Energy.

“The next solar panel to recover it’s entire energy
footprint will be the first!”

sorry Bret, but thats utter BS, have you been speaking to some Sudia’s?

I think Genie originially posted this document:-
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy05osti/37322.pdf

Carbon footprinting is an impossible task, because where do you stop? Not to mention its a moving target. I mean seriously should any of us who love cars even mention the word carbon footprint. Because clearly we won’t like the answer. Have you any idea how much energy is required just to find oil let along extract it! I worked in Seismic Oil exploration for 4 years, and its a great eye opener unless your a Tofo eating tree hugging hippy

Green acreditation is a good positive way to provide investment for power companies to move forward with renewables. But yes it has to be accredited green power approved by the government, not just the company making a false claim. This has already been exposed in choice report (Yeah ok Choice isn’t a great reference!, but anyway).

So as we speak i’m producing more energy than i’m using, that is until the sun goes down
Bret

Lazy, yeah seen it before.

However, it falls far short of being realistic and accurate:
- Ignores the labor intensiveness of the processes and the staff movements required.
- Ignores the energy cost to make the machinery and equipment.
- Ignores the environmental aspects of the chemical waste disposal.
- Ignores the Admin overheads (takes into account only the fabrication facility overheads)

- And the biggie: Bases all the calculations on the entire process using solar power to make solar power, and clearly there is a massive “lag” in that being the case.

Mate, have a look at a business plan from a solar facility (oh sorry you probably can’t). The only BS here is that document, sorry this is SOLAR energy not SNOW jobs.

That document is now over 4 years old and none of thier predicted futre trends have come to pass.

Sorry, but as good as solar power is, it has a long way to go before it is genuinely environmentally and commercially brilliant.
Lazybones

“- Ignores the labor intensiveness of the processes and the staff movements required.”

Which has an impact on the energy used because? Don’t see how this differs from most manufacturing processing!

“- Ignores the energy cost to make the machinery and equipment.”

Bret, if you applied that to making a slice of bread i’m sure its footprint would be about 20 tonnes! We should only focus on running costs for now, otherwise we’ll be here for ever! Try appying that to theory to Oil! You would have to include the computers, the software production costs, the paper bla bla bla just to cover the process to find potential oil fields. Let alone drilling & extraction. And once your there you have to continue the process because Oil is a limited resource.

“- Ignores the environmental aspects of the chemical waste disposal.”

Once again, your inital argument was energy not chemical waste, even McDonalds us chemicals to clean up. How is that disposed of?

“- Ignores the Admin overheads (takes into account only the fabrication facility overheads)”

Same as above, we should only focus on operational energy consumption.

“- And the biggie: Bases all the calculations on the entire process using solar power to make solar power”

Which is the currently trend even google are entering the solar market, and making claims of the carbon footprint per search.

“Mate, have a look at a business plan from a solar facility (oh sorry you probably can’t).”

Cool, provide your information Bret, i will be happy to read.

“long way to go before it is genuinely environmentally”
I doubt anything we do will be truely good for the enviroment, all we can do is minimise impact, and reduce emissions. IMHO Solar is one of the best renewable technologies available.
Bret

Lazy,
Long reply to which I’m not gonnu return.

“IMHO Solar is one of the best renewable technologies available.”
I totally agree!

But I do note that infact you have not successfully argued against the fact that Solar Panels do not give a positive return on their embodied energy. Long term solar is going to playa large part in our energy needs, but it does not yet payback as you claim.

And your nuts if you think I’d give you any commercial sensitive information.
Lazybones

Annnnnd i’m back, Hows it going Bret, I hope you had a good easter.. Anyway…

Well i’ve had a good look for some information to support your claim Bret, but so far nothing. Everthing i’ve read on the EROI of PV Solar is positive and varies from 2 – 15 Years. Given panels last 25 years, its all good.

Now given your based in SA (I think), I’m wondering if your refering to Origin Energy’s Sliver PV Solar technology. Because this is a new argument all together and yes i’d agree that Sliver will take a while before it makes any positive gains.

“And your nuts if you think I’d give you any commercial sensitive”

I’ve been called worse , I don’t need the full commercial info just the numbers to back your claim.
energy girl

I think we have to accept the fact that there are alot of humans and that there is a down side to everything we do. It is going to cost a lot and take a lot of time to get to the point where what we do causes the smallest possible harm. In the mean time, electric cars and solar power have my vote, and I can’t wait to hear that there is a better solution to these. Well done to humanity for finally shifting its focus.
vinswalla

you guys are funny bickering away. the point is someone is trying. we wont get 100% green power for at least 60 years till all green energy is a continuous loop. but you gotta start somewhere. no doubt dams do cut down the ecosystem.
stuff it. where do i sign up for this car. tell me so i can burn my ford.
lazybones

bickering Vinswalla!! Bret & I were enjoying a debate like PM question time
http:/www.solarpanelrebate.com.au Solar Panel Rebate

All arguments aside, any technology or vehicle that can reduce our carbon emissions is a good thing!

Lazybones

That really depends if you believe that reducing emissions is a good thing. I obviously do for many reasons including climate change. But there are many who think its all BS and we should just keep burning the good old dino juice.