I was listening to some electric car and renewable energy evangelists recently and I agreed with what they said. That was until they started demonising petrol stations and saying you shouldn’t use their electric car chargers.
I understand why they said that. Like me these people have long understood what causes climate change and are frustrated at how long it’s taken for Australian federal and state governments to start phasing out fossil fuels.
Here’s the thing though. Unlike coal powered power stations which are shutting down one by one, petrol stations look like they could be changing for the better.
Just a few weeks ago I charged my electric Polestar 2 Hertz rental car at an Evie Networks charger in Taylors Lakes, Victoria.
Notice the background to the photo? That Evie Networks charger is located at a Coles Shell Petrol Station.
The old petroleum brand Shell is not the only one installing electric car chargers.
Along the inland highway route between Sydney and Melbourne BP Pulse just activated electric car chargers North and Southbound at Marulan and they aim “to build the country’s most convenient fast-charging EV network and customer experience”.
Not to be left out Ampol’s new AmpCharge brand aims to “establish the leading EV charging network in Australia by 2030”.
The reality is if we want to convert Australia’s cars from petrol and diesel to electric as fast as possible then we need lots of public fast, medium and slow chargers all over the country ASAP.
It’s a big if but if Australia’s petrol station companies are willing to invest in hundreds of electric car chargers and phase out selling fossil fuels they will start being part of the climate change and pollution reduction solution rather than part of the problem.
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