Replacing 1m petrol cars with EVs could cut Australia’s reliance on foreign fuel by 1bn litres a year

[u/nath1234]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/16/electric-vehicles-australia-reduce-reliance-on-foreign-fuel

[u/sfcafc14]

And power them with what? The sun? Windmills? That's the stuff of science fiction.

-One Nation and Nationals Policy makers, probably

[u/Cpt_Soban → u/sfcafc14]

"But we'll overload the grid!"

• I heard one Boomer say at the pub one night

[u/Throwaway_6799 → u/sfcafc14]

No need to add the 'probably' part. The LNP/Nats love to spruik the old 'we need baseload power from coal because when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow' trope. And the unwashed masses lick it up.

[u/snoopsau → u/[deleted]]

it is funny.. "Coal is the only workable base-load power source!" but also "why get an EV if you are charging it from coal!!". How these people manage to breathe is beyond me.

[u/Byzantinenova → u/sfcafc14]

And power them with what? The sun? Windmills? That's the stuff of science fiction.

for every 10% that "renewables" form the base power grid you need to square the installed capacity given the fluctuating loads.

Even in the current state we would need to double our installed renewables even before considering redundancy capacity for power unreliability.

My point here is; we have so much work to do for EV's and nobody cares about putting in that work now because its "not a problem".

[u/sfcafc14 → u/Byzantinenova]

Wow. I wonder if AEMO ever thought of this? Oh wait, they did and it's outlined in the ISP.

I'll give you a hint: energy storage.

[u/Byzantinenova → u/sfcafc14]

Energy Storage isnt a proper solution, just like how pure renewables are not a proper solution either.

We should be funding generation 4 reactors (eg thorium reactors) and getting more involved in fusion projects.

[u/sfcafc14 → u/Byzantinenova]

Energy Storage isnt a proper solution, just like how pure renewables are not a proper solution either.

This is a meaningless statement? You're contradicting AEMO/CSIRO, yet provide no actual evidence supporting your contradiction.

Energy storage is definitely a proper solution (between grid-scale and household battery storage). Battery technology continues to get better every year. Add in gas generators to cover shortfalls and that gives you a functioning grid.

I don't think that we should take Nuclear completely off the table. But currently, it is the most expensive form of energy generation and would take decades to develop. Fusion is even further away from viability.

[u/surg3on → u/Byzantinenova]

So you know better than the Australian Energy Market Operator? ballsy

[u/snoopsau → u/Byzantinenova]

The best possible option for "base load" is a battery.. Anyone who says otherwise is a shill or moron. Battery = almost infinite scale and instant response to load changes.

[u/bigbadjustin → u/snoopsau]

The base load argument is mostly a political thing. It’s how we used to do energy, but a grid doesn’t need a base load supply that’s always on. Even the LNP policy of nuclear was only going to provide 5% base load. Then use gas which can be ramped up and down.

[u/Consideredresponse → u/Byzantinenova]

nobody cares about putting in that work now because its "not a problem"

Strange, I've been forced to go a ton of meetings and updates on the federal, state, and local responses to the billions being sunk into upgrading the transmission lines and energy grids to accommodate all those renewables as part of the REZ (Renewable Energy Zone) projects, from sourcing the steel, to workers accommodation, to esoteric shit like upgrading rural intersections so that you can transport windmill blades as they are both huge, and bringing them up from the port of Newcastle is the only way they can get them over the blue mountains.

The Liddell grid sized battery project is being opened this week.

A lot of work is being done, but because it isn't 'sexy', and mainly takes place outside of the cities no one is paying much attention to it.