Accelerating the Local Government Transition to BEVs in Western Australia

Summary

Need

To achieve Australia’s net zero emissions target by 2050 it is imperative that the transport sector is decarbonised. LGs have the ability to play a key role in the transition to BEVs and creation of a second-hand market. The Project aims to overcome key barriers for LGs in Western Australia when transitioning to BEV fleets such as insufficient charging infrastructure in proposed LG regions, limited grid capacity to support charging infrastructure and the total cost of ownership of BEVs which currently remains higher than an equivalent Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicle.  

Through collective procurement, on behalf of LGs, WALGA will streamline commonly challenging processes for individual LGs such as providing proof of concept required in regional areas, facilitating the development of a corporate fleet transition plan, and knowledge dissemination on fit for purpose hardware and software.  

Action

The project will involve aggregating the procurement and deployment of charging infrastructure (83 x 7- 22kW AC chargers, 22 x 24-60kW DC chargers) across 22 LG light vehicle fleets. The Project involves LGs procuring 129 BEVs. This enables LGs in Western Australia to confidently begin their fleet electrification transition, and for the participating LGs to accelerate their transitions. 

Outcome

The Project objectives will be achieved through the following outcomes:  

• Overcoming barriers to accelerate BEV uptake in fleets across a variety of LG  types (e.g., metro, regional, rural); 
• Demonstrating new use cases for facilitating fleet electrification through scalable procurement and aggregator models; and  
• Increased skills, capacity and knowledge relevant to optimising the integration of BEVs into the grid (using a mix of AC and DC chargers) for LG fleets. 

Additional impact

The Project presents a meaningful opportunity to accelerate the transition of LG fleets. 

The Project will be one of the first large-scale, light BEV deployments in WA to consider the requirements for procuring and installing charging infrastructure in hard-to-access, regional and remote areas. 

Knowledge Sharing items the Project seeks to address: 

• The impact of adoption of EVs on key operational aspects, including corporate policy frameworks for staff private use of BEVs, Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), energy management and grid integration, fleet management and performance, and driver acceptance and training.  
• Proof of concept for installation and use of charging infrastructure and BEVs in regional areas.   
• How local governments can support the commercialisation of EVs.