A remote Australian gas station has been able to continue supplying EVs with locally produced solar electricity despite running out of petrol, according to images posted on social media.
“Fun fact: it is now easier to charge your electric car on some sections of the Eyre Highway than it is to put petrol in your ICE car ” posted Jeff Wilson along with images showing the empty fuel pump and EV charging nearby.
“Sorry no ULP available at the moment” reads the sign on the bowser at the Mundrabilla roadhouse (ULP stands for unleaded petrol).
“Our fuel depot is about to undergo a major overhaul and upgrade and we are hoping and excited that we will be back selling ULP by mid-year”.
But unlike petrol car owners, electric vehicle drivers don’t need to wait another 6 months. Thanks to a recent crowd funding campaign by AEVA (Australian Electric Vehicle Association) and TOCEVA Racing (Tesla Owners Club), Mundrabilla Roadhouse now has an EV charging station.
“Goes to show that locally produced electricity from the solar array is just as, if not more reliable than fuel supplies.” commented Florien Popp on LinkedIn
Mundrabilla Roadhouse is smack bang in the middle of the two most isolated cities in Australia. Located 1,333 km west of Adelaide and 1,362 km east of Perth, the roadhouse is one of the most isolated gas stations in the world.
When fossil fuel supplies run out during the apocalypse, it’s good to know you can still power an electric vehicle on locally produced solar power in the most remote regions on the planet.
Maybe Mad Max should have been driving an EV?
Daniel Bleakley is a clean technology researcher and advocate with a background in engineering and business. He has a strong interest in electric vehicles, renewable energy, manufacturing and public policy.