Armidale Independent - 19/11/2008

The first prototype of Armidale’s electric car was launched in Armidale today with the new owner Howard Eastwood from Glen Innes taking the keys from Member for Northern Tablelands Richard Torbay.

The appropriately bright green evMe – Energetique digital electric model, with a Mazda body wrapped around some of the world’s most advanced technology, can reach a speed of 130kph and travel 250kms before it needs recharging.

“It’s a remarkable outcome for the local team and it’s no ugly duckling either,” Mr Torbay said. “It is incredibly difficult to start a project like this from scratch and reflects an enormous amount of work over the last four years.

“Australians are great at innovation but the environment for supporting them to production phase in not as good as overseas. Despite the difficulty CEO Phil Coop and the team have preserved and they already have orders for 100 more cars. It shows we can do it from our own back yard.”

Dr Coop told guests at the launch his company planned to assemble 100 cars in Armidale next year. Bodies and parts are all imported and a team of ten will build the vehicles, expected to sell for around $70,000.
The technology is the most advanced in the world sourced from Germany, Switzerland and South Korea,” he said.

“The components are unique and we are already planning to fit them into a delivery van and a sports roadster.”

Nursing the keys of the car he could not drive away immediately. Mr Eastwood said he hoped to have it on the road by Christmas.

“I promised myself an electric car for my 70th birthday this year,” he said. “I have looked at models from India and also drove an electric car in England. It was not until a friend contacted me about Energetique I found I could have the most advanced model right here at home.”

The Glen Innes businessman has arranged to connect three phase power at the Jackadgery caravan park, to charge his new car between his home town and Grafton.

He is also planning an inaugural drive from Armidale NSW to Armadale Victoria to replicate in part the first trip by a steam car from Bathurst to Melbourne.

Glen Innes Examiner - 18/11/2008

RETIRED Glen Innes businessman Howard Eastwood claimed ownership of the first electric powered vehicle in Australia yesterday as Armidale based technology company Energetique launched its first vehicle.
His quest for an electric car had taken place over a number of years, including travelling to the other side of the world to enquire into the options available in Europe - only to find his solution would be just an hour away.

The vehicle known as an ‘evMe’ was officially launched in the Armidale Mall yesterday after four years of research, and Mr Eastwood received the keys to the first vehicle released.

While he will not officially take the car on the road until January as it is needed for the production of further vehicles, Mr Eastwood said he felt it would be a revolutionary moment in the progress of motor transport.
“I think it is like a genie being let out of the bag. All my life I have been testing new things and wanted to find an alternate option,” he said.

“I like to think that by the time little Howie (grandson) gets his licence he will never know driving in a fuel powered car.”

Energetique gained approval to use the body of a mazda 2 for their first model with the efficiencies and performance of the car being achieved through the integration of the world’s most advanced power electronics and energy storage technologies.

It does not have a gear box as the drive motor is a unique, liquid cooled hybrid synchronous motor that provides power from the start to maximum speed.

The outlet where the vehicle is charged takes the place of where a fuel tank would usually be and has a range of 200 to 300km per charge with a top speed of 130kph.

The ‘evMe’ can be charged through a domestic socket within a period of 10 minutes to two hours dependent on wattage.

Numerous benefits arise from electric vehicles but none more so than the reduction in running costs. An average consumption rate of 10-15 KWhs per 100kms translates to a cost of $2-3 per 100kms.
Energetique is planning the release of 100 vehicles next year by pre-order as part of their pilot program with the cost expected to be somewhere between $60,000 and $65,000. CEO Phil Coop said there has already been a great deal of interest.

“It is good to finally get to this point. We have had a huge response from the public and it has all been positive. We already have 100 to 150 names in our database who have expressed their interest in the car and now we just have to start building them,” he said.

Picture gallery of photos taken at Australia’s newest electric car launch.

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Armidale Express - 17/11/2008

Ecological sustainability has a new home-grown ride

The World now has a technologically advanced electric vehicle (EV) – designed and built in Armidale.

Armidale- based technology company, Energetique, has a prototype electric vehicle which will be formally launch in the Mall at 1 o’clock today. The ‘evMe’ - a fully electric vehicle, the result of four years research – will be officially launched by Member for New England, Tony Windsor.

Member for Northern Tablelands, Richard Torbay, and Armidale Dumaresq deputy mayor, Jim Maher, will also attend.

The launch will include the hand over of the first evMe to be sold in Australia.

The team behind Energetique includes Phil Coop as CEO, chief technical officer Norm Boessler, systems engineer Brendan Heywood, body engineer Dwayne Riley, sales and media manager Emily Sullivan and Marketing and strategy manager Donna Francis.

The evMe features state of the art technologies that will finally allow electric Vehicles to be viable alternative for commuters.

The efficiencies and performance of the evMe have been achieved through the integration of the worlds most advanced power electronics and energy storage technologies.

The evMe does not have a gearbox as the driver motor is a unique, liquid cooled hybrid synchronous motor which provides power for the vehicle from start to its maximum speed, while operating at efficiencies of around 97 percent.

The batteries are high quality Lithium ion that are both light weight and energy dense. The evMe has a range of 200-300km per charge, depending on the driving mode selected and conditions, at top speed in excess of 130kph, and can travel from 0-100kpp in a little under 10 seconds.

Recharging the evMe is easy – just plug it into a domestic socket and charge it at home, although there are several other recharging options which can the time to around two hours. Energetique is also developing a unique on-board rapid charger that will recharge the evMe in around one hour.

The vehicle also integrates well with solar energy solutions. The evMe is currently available in a four door hatch body style, however there are several other body styles that are suitable as a platform for an electric technology solution.

The evMe technology will soon be available in a commercial delivery van and a high performance sports roadster. There are many benefits arising from electric vehicles, particularly cheaper running costs: an average consumption rate of 10-15 KWhs per 100 kilometres translates to a cost of around $2-$3 per 100 kilometres. Electric vehicles emit no emissions or particulates, helping create cleaner air for urban environments, and help reduce Australia’s dependency on imported fuels. Energetique plans the production and release of 100 vehicles as a pilot program to prove and further develop the evMe technologies.

The evMe will be available for sale in 2009 by pre order as part of the pilot program of 100 vehicles.