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Queensland, Australia, Joins the Electric Revolution with World’s Longest Electric Highway

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Electric Car charging parking spot

Photo: byronv2

One of the largest accepted barriers to widespread acceptance of electric vehicles is undoubtedly infrastructure—it is simply a difficult matter to go any particular distance in an electric vehicle, since you have meticulously plan every stop around what local charging stations there are.

However, Queensland, Australia has decided that it will be taking a good swing at working that one out, by launching the Queensland Electric Super Highway—a highway stretching around 2,000 km (about 1,200 miles to us in the States) from the Gold Coast in the south to Cairns in the north.

The highway will be dotted with 18 charging sites in cities and towns along the route, all of which will offer fast-charging capabilities, so full charging in a half hour or so.

The Super Highway is meant to encourage Queensland’s drivers to buy more electric vehicles, so at least for its initial phase, electric charging is being offered for free—and what’s more, Environment Minister and Acting Main Roads Minister Steven Miles added that the energy is provided from green sources, saying “EVs can provide not only a reduced fuel cost for Queenslanders, but an environmentally-friendly transport option, particularly when charged from renewable energy.”

Queensland is hoping to tap into the residents’ current interest in vehicles with plugs, citing a Household Energy Survey which said that 50% of Queensland residents would consider an EV, a plug-in hybrid, or regenerative-braking hybrid when buying a new car over the next two years, and that more charging stations would make it a better option.

News Sources: Queensland Government, Jalopnik