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The feasibility of a sustainable energy, driver-only electric commuter vehicle for New Zealand

Duke, M., Andrews, D., Pickering, K.L. and Anderson, T. 2006, The feasibility of a sustainable energy, driver-only electric commuter vehicle for New Zealand, in ANZSES 2006 : 44th Annual conference Solar 2006 :Clean Energy? Can Do!, Australian & New Zealand Solar Energy Society, [Frenchs Forest, N.S.W].

Document type: Conference Paper
Collection: School of Engineering

Title The feasibility of a sustainable energy, driver-only electric commuter vehicle for New Zealand
Author(s) Duke, M.
Andrews, D.
Pickering, K.L.
Anderson, T.
Conference name Australian & New Zealand Solar Energy Society Conference (44th : 2006 : Canberra, A.C.T)
Conference location Canberra, A.C.T
Conference dates 13-15 Sep. 2006
Title of proceedings ANZSES 2006 : 44th Annual conference Solar 2006 :Clean Energy? Can Do!
Publication date 2006
Publisher Australian & New Zealand Solar Energy Society
Place of publication [Frenchs Forest, N.S.W]
Summary This paper investigates whether low technology driver-only, battery electric commuter vehicles are feasible for New Zealand. Personal passenger transport faces several challenges in the coming decades: depletion of cheap oil reserves, increasing congestion, localised pollution, the need for reduced carbon emissions and the long term goal of sustainability. One way of solving some of these problems could be to introduce low cost, comfortable, energy efficient, driver-only electric vehicles. These would still give the driver a weatherproof, safe and comfortable means of commuting, but at a fraction of the energy and running costs of conventional petrol/diesel cars. To help assess their viability, the performance and energy use of the E-POD electric commuter vehicle is used as a benchmark. The work shows that such a vehicle could be made cheaply, using readily available technology with a range of 180km and a top speed of over 90km/h. The chassis could be made from natural fibre composite materials that might reduce significantly the embedded energy required for its manufacture. The electricity taken from the grid to charge the batteries could be replaced by electricity generated from grid connected photovoltaic panels mounted on the garage roof of the vehicle owner.
Language eng
Field of Research 090299 Automotive Engineering not elsewhere classified
Socio Economic Objective 889899 Environmentally Sustainable Transport not elsewhere classified
HERDC Research category E2.1 Full written paper - non-refereed / Abstract reviewed
Copyright notice ©2006, AuSES
Persistent URL http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30023104
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