Tesla...
Seems to be the only electric car worth owning...
Also, given that Australians actually fight over whether Ford or GM is best - Tesla are going to have one hell of a hard sell...
Tesla has confirmed to The Register that a network of its Supercharger stations is planned for Australia after its Model S arrives, later in 2014. The company has appointed consulting engineer and renewables specialist Evan Beaver to manage the Australian Supercharger program. Tesla would not provide details on the rollout, …
Tassie has a small population and a struggling economy. Hydro everywhere which would be a plus. SA has a lot of wind power and is a much bigger market.
Between Sydney and Melbourne would give pretty close to half the country's population, the main downside is that Victoria has some of the dirtiest power generators around so any Tesla sold down there would be worse than a large SUV for CO2. Plus a large amount of that capacity will be sold off cheap now some smelters have closed down.
Although the population is worshipful of farmers and farming, and they have political power far beyond their economic or per capita weight, Australia is 98% urban. Highest in the world. You just need to get the southern part of the east coast, Brisbane/Perth and that'll do to start.
so a whole 270 km after a leisurely lunch every 2 hours. Sounds just the sort of thing for around Civic and not much else. Be cheap parking anyway, so will be banned within 3 km of city. As for going anywhere, still useless. Probably sell well for at least 6 months then
1. Stop, Revive, Survive says you're stopping every two hours anyway (although I admit to doing a driver swap on the long hauls).
2. I know a couple of more-than-tyre-kickers who are keen. Vehicle has been seen dockside in Sydney doing, ahem, some "running in". They're excited.
3. Range from fully charged is ~270 miles, so 420 km. How many times a year is your car more than 420 km from where you are staying overnight? More importantly, how many times will someone who can afford such a car and wants such a car actually drive anywhere further away than that? I drive Syd to Qld cos I'm a SITCOM (http://goo.gl/lNRHk4), but said interested parties are not so encumbered nor willing to drive hours and hours. They fly and rent on arrival.
3. Sort of trips they actually do:
4a. Vaucluse to the holiday house at Bateman's Bay: 285km
4b. Mossman to a BnB at Hunter Valley is 246 km.
4c. Sydney to Canberra is 287 km.
4c. Getting to the Snowy Mountains, which is the main big trip this car is likely to do, does require a stop. The snow trip is 490 km, which is 70 km too far, so a stop is required even from a full battery. However, you're not just rich, you're also a greenie, so there's a solution. Demand the recharge station is built at the lookout on the hillside overlooking Lake George. All the green power turbines are located to the east on the hill, so you can sit there and read your stock portfolio movements whilst feeling green and smug. Add a good latte machine and you'd get a good slice of people in their Prius's etc as well stopping to look at the car they wish they'd bought and bathing the reflected green goodness. Would help if you're a bit short on the Canberra/Sydney route and want to splash and dash (zap and zip?)... Other solutions are a station at Fyshwick (shop for toys?) or in Cooma (400 km is damn close to max range, but you could pick up snow chains, get latest snow fashion etc).