1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:03,160 Speaker 1: Now we have got joining us on the line right now. 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:05,880 Speaker 1: We know that the electric vehicles, I think that there's 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:09,119 Speaker 1: something that we'd all like to use in theory. They 4 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:11,280 Speaker 1: still seem pretty expensive at the moment. There's still a 5 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: few myths I think you'd say, floating around when it 6 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: comes to electric vehicles. Now, Hunter Murray is driving his 7 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: Tesla up to Darwin from Alice Springs. He's currently the 8 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: vice president of Australia Electric Vehicle Association and he joins 9 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:28,640 Speaker 1: me on the line right now. 10 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Hunter. 11 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:32,319 Speaker 3: Good morning Katy. How are you? 12 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:34,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, very well, So Hunter, where are you right now? 13 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 3: Well, I'm actually I'm in town. I'm in Darwen, just 14 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:42,519 Speaker 3: actually having a lovely coffee at the ryse Greend Cafe. 15 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 3: There's a quick plug for them out of the industrial 16 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 3: area here and we're meeting with some great people to 17 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 3: push on with increasing the charging network between here and 18 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 3: Alice and of course all the highways and then obviously 19 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 3: moving on to the communities after that. 20 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 2: And so you've traveled from Alice Springs to Darwin. 21 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: How accessible has it been to be able to charge 22 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 1: your vehicle and be able to drive your electric vehicle 23 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: that distance? 24 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 3: Well, two things. I've actually been out there making it 25 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 3: better because I am in the trade and we've been 26 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 3: working with stakeholders like roadhouses and stuff like that to 27 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 3: make it more accessible. But on the way up it 28 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 3: did take a few extra days because I was doing 29 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 3: a bit of work improving the network. But on the 30 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 3: way back I should be able to get down to 31 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 3: Alice in two days pretty well, just like a normal car. 32 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: Yeah. Right, How accessible are electric vehicles in the Northern 33 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: Territory because I think lots of us listening will think, oh, 34 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,119 Speaker 1: we'd love one, but it seems like they're quite expensive 35 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: at the moment. 36 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 3: Well, yes and no, it kind of depends what you 37 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 3: think is expensive. There's certainly some here to test drive. 38 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 3: There's makes through Mazda and that sort of stuff that 39 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 3: are available here to try. What I guess I want 40 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 3: to plant the seed with people is that at the 41 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 3: moment in the territory we're right behind just typically we're 42 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 3: right behind the whole of the rest of Australia when 43 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 3: it comes to the charging network and how fast we 44 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 3: can charge. But we've got to remember that every house 45 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:17,959 Speaker 3: is a charger. We have a PowerPoint in every house. 46 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:20,239 Speaker 3: If we've got a little bit bigger PowerPoint, it's a 47 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 3: little bit better charger. So just like we charge our 48 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 3: mobile phones every night, we could do the same thing 49 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,519 Speaker 3: with electric vehicles. Ninety five percent of the time those 50 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 3: vehicles are sitting in either our workplace or our home, 51 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 3: so you know, ninety five percent of the time they 52 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 3: can just be sitting there trickle charging. And it's really 53 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 3: only that five percent of the time when people want 54 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 3: to take it on holidays and the long trips that 55 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,519 Speaker 3: we need this long range destination. So what I try 56 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:48,799 Speaker 3: to hint to people is to say, look, why don't 57 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 3: you most people in Australia have two cars, why don't 58 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 3: you make your second car an electric vehicle, keep you 59 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 3: long range car for your holidays. I've got no problems 60 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 3: with that. I'm not trying to push that on you, 61 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 3: but just the next decision you make on a vehicle, 62 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 3: I think you really need to go and take an 63 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 3: EV for a drive and understand what it is about them. 64 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 3: The simplicity of them, the lack of pain trying to 65 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:13,519 Speaker 3: go through traffic, the easiness something does all way up, 66 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 3: and of course there's the health benefits and stuff like 67 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:18,679 Speaker 3: that too. I'd love to go on to But I 68 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 3: just want to pick on the evs themselves at the moment. 69 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:23,919 Speaker 1: Yeah, sar enough are they becoming I mean, are more 70 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: people inquiring about buying them? 71 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 2: Do you reckon? Since those petrol prices of skyrocketed. 72 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:31,519 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, unfortunately we've had to have a really good 73 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 3: war to make people really open their eyes about them. 74 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 3: That's for sure. It's unfortunate. But to give you an idea, 75 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 3: were at the AVA probably used to take maybe two 76 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 3: or three calls a week in Fuirayes and there's now 77 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 3: gone to about ten calls a day or ten ten 78 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 3: inquiries a day across the media obviously, so people are 79 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 3: really keen on to try and get on the right idea. 80 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 3: But I do recommend people to have a really look 81 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 3: good at those myths that seem to be still going around. 82 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 3: And at the moment, you know, the batteries won't last 83 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 3: a year and all that crap. Excuse my French, they 84 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 3: do last very long. They're cooled batteries. They are responsibly 85 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 3: recycled and reused for house batteries. My battery in my car, 86 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 3: like my EV's eight years old now it's probably lost 87 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,599 Speaker 3: about fifteen percent of its range. But you know what, 88 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 3: it's still going strong. And like I said, just drove 89 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 3: it up from Alice. I've driven my other one actually 90 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 3: halfway around Australia. It took about two weeks from go 91 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 3: to Brisbane right up to Alice Springs originally. And look, 92 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 3: they're very capable vehicles. I think people just need to 93 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 3: understand that. They look at them a little bit differently. 94 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 3: And I think you'll find once you start not having 95 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,239 Speaker 3: to travel for a fuel station when you need fuel. 96 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 3: These things are charged fully every day, they're going to 97 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 3: see those sort of advantages. 98 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: You said that you like that the association at the 99 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,280 Speaker 1: OMEN is receiving like ten queries a day or you know, 100 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: ten ten questions a day, ten people getting in contact today. 101 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:08,840 Speaker 2: What are people mostly asking about? 102 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 3: Well, exactly what you're saying is like how cheap are 103 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 3: they and stuff like that. I'll give you an idea 104 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:18,039 Speaker 3: of the fuel savings. I guess you could call them 105 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 3: and stay here in the territory. We're paying about twenty 106 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 3: seven cents a killer what hour. If you look at 107 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 3: your power bill, let's round it up to thirty just 108 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 3: to keep the maths easy. So that's thirty cents on 109 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:31,480 Speaker 3: a normal electric car that'll give you about five kilometers 110 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 3: of range. Now, a normal combustion car, maybe you're talking 111 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 3: ten liters per one hundred kilometers, so that's a one 112 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 3: lead per ten kilometers, so one lead of cost. What's 113 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 3: that at the moment? Now, I'm sorry, I don't know. 114 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:47,159 Speaker 2: Oh, of course about money, Well, it depends. 115 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: If you've got a diesel car at the moment, at 116 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: least two dollars eighteen a liter. 117 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 3: There you go, so for thirty, say, if you double 118 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 3: thirty cents to make it ten kilometers, that's sixty cents 119 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 3: per ten kilometers two dollars thirty. So that's about five 120 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 3: times the cheapness. And it's and this is the thing, 121 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:08,599 Speaker 3: it can you go up? I suppose we're pretty lucky 122 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,640 Speaker 3: in the territory that we have a pretty well government 123 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 3: run and power generation. But you know what if you 124 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 3: start getting solar on your house or solar at your 125 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 3: business place, and now all of a sudden your boss says, hey, guys, 126 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 3: here's some electric ports for your cars. How about your 127 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:25,720 Speaker 3: charge up off my solar in the day as a 128 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 3: as a thanks to working for me, which I do 129 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 3: with my guys, They all of a sudden they're getting 130 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 3: free fuel. 131 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:35,840 Speaker 2: Yeah right, well, there you go. It certainly food for thought. 132 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 2: Now tell me Murray, why did or Hunter? Sorry, I've 133 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 2: got a mix share names up there, Hunt up round 134 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 2: to the boats. Okay, you probably get that a bit mate. 135 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 2: Why are you so passionate about this? 136 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 3: Oh? Look, I've seen it for a long time, and 137 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:55,760 Speaker 3: like driving the cars are just amazing, But I've seen 138 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 3: it for a long time. I'm actually an electronic electrical 139 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:03,040 Speaker 3: engineer by trade. I've been in communications most of my life. 140 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:06,039 Speaker 3: And when I saw the cars coming along, and I've 141 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 3: had PHVs and i've had HIV like h highbrid vehicles 142 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 3: as well, and once I saw the technology really really 143 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 3: coming to fruition, that to me was an answer. It 144 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 3: was an answer to not only not losing our standard 145 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 3: of living by going electric, but it's also our standard 146 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 3: of health, you know, because we can get onto all 147 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 3: the green reasons. But for me, it's about I can 148 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 3: actually concentrate on green is really good solution, only part 149 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:37,679 Speaker 3: of the solution to what humanity has got at the moment, 150 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 3: besides fighting over virtual chemicals. But to me, I can 151 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 3: bring people to that solution, and I guess do it 152 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 3: by example I have a couple of businesses in Alice 153 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 3: that we've built up over the years there, and both 154 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 3: of them are on full solar. I have three company vehicles, 155 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 3: they're all electric. Obviously my house is on solar as well. 156 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 3: So my thousand dollars or two thousand a bill from 157 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 3: electrical has now gone to minus one fifty and that 158 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 3: includes my fuel for my cars. So I'm trying to 159 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 3: show people that there's a way to do it. Yes, 160 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 3: it cost me money to get there, but it was 161 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 3: business money, and the taxman helped me along. I'll be 162 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 3: the first to admit it. But at the same time, 163 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 3: there is a path to where we can all live 164 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 3: a lot better. And I share that path with my employees, 165 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:28,320 Speaker 3: and I share my path with as many people as 166 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 3: I can acting. And I'm really glad you're listening to it. 167 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:33,079 Speaker 2: Well, Aunt, I really appreciate your time this morning. 168 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 1: I reckon it's you know, it's a bit of a 169 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 1: different discussion, and it's always good to hear those different discussions. Look, 170 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:42,080 Speaker 1: I wouldn't mind an electric vehicle. I've just got to 171 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: find myself some cash. 172 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:44,080 Speaker 2: Mate. 173 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:47,559 Speaker 3: Well, okay, so give you an idea just really quickly. 174 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 3: I'll throw some prices out there, because I'm not making 175 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 3: any money out of selling cars. But you can pick 176 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:55,960 Speaker 3: up you can pick up an MG what they call it, 177 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 3: mini Suv or qv for about forty five grand at 178 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:00,040 Speaker 3: the mar. 179 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:01,679 Speaker 2: Let. 180 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:03,800 Speaker 3: Me just sitch a one more thing. If I've got 181 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 3: two seconds. We got two seconds, We've got two seconds. 182 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 3: We do really need to hit our businesses and our 183 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:15,079 Speaker 3: government sections to get more fleet vehicles, and therefore those 184 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:19,720 Speaker 3: fleet vehicles will allow the possibility of selling secondhand vehicles, 185 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:22,840 Speaker 3: therefore making it cheaper for the long run for the 186 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 3: eighty five percent of Australians that always buy secondhand. We 187 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:30,440 Speaker 3: do need to force the government and our and reward 188 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 3: the businesses for taking the risk. But I'm here to 189 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:37,960 Speaker 3: say there's no risk. They are superb vehicles and they're 190 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:40,320 Speaker 3: going to work in really, really well with our solution 191 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 3: obviously to climate change. 192 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: Well, Hunter, I really appreciate your time this morning, mate, 193 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 1: Thank you very much for having a chat with us. 194 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:50,680 Speaker 3: You most welcome one more plug too. Oh mate, I'm 195 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:53,439 Speaker 3: going to have to run with Thetaseless together on Saturday 196 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 3: if you want to. Are going to get the Tesslas 197 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 3: together on Saturday if you want to come have a look. 198 00:09:57,600 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 3: I don't know where they, so you're going to have 199 00:09:59,120 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 3: to get back to me. 200 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:01,839 Speaker 2: On that worries. Thanks Mite, we'll talk to you again 201 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 2: soon