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Australia’s first home-made electric cargo vehicle to be unveiled next week

Source: ACE-EV

The first all-electric vehicle assembled entirely in Australia will be officially launched next week in Sydney, bringing Australia a step closer to a home-grown electric vehicle industry to replace the fossil fuel car industry that closed a few years ago.

The completed delivery van is the brainchild of CEO Gregory McGarvie and will be revealed to the Australian public at the Smart Energy Expo in Sydney next Tuesday. It is the first prototype assembled here out of the Australian Clean Energy Electric Vehicle (ACE-EV) group’s four planned electric vehicles.

Assembled by a team of local and international engineers and technicians, the vehicle took its first test drive after the Carmageddon event held by the Motor Traders Association of Queensland last week.

Evolved from an initial venture begun with fellow ACE-EV founder Will Qiang called Get Green, ACE-EV’s mission is to create a “smart, clever, quick, and replicable [electric vehicle] industry,” says McGarvie.

A partnership with Dr Charles Kung, previously chief engineer for Taiwan’s high speed train, and Gerhard Kurr, formerly of German Binz, makers of ambulances and hearses, fast-tracked the design of a lightweight carbon-fibre reinforced plastic monocoque that is at the core of ACE-EV vehicles.

The 3.9 metre long Cargo, as it is known, can carry payloads of half a tonne and has the potential to lower fleet greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent and running costs by 85 per cent, according to data provided by ACE-EV.

Its 33kWh battery offers up to 250km on a single charge with a partial load, with a max power output of 45kW from the motor.

As the first of a series of vehicles planned by ACE-EV, the Cargo has a target price of $A39,995, is aimed at fleets and can be customised to suit customer needs, such as the cargo area in the back.