THE FEDERAL government will consider using electric cars for MPs, following COMCAR's two-week trial of vehicles supplied by Melbourne-based consortium EV Engineering.
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The fully-electric battery-switchable Commodores were used by 65 parliamentarians, including 15 ministers. Special Minister of State Gary Gray said the trial of zero-emissions vehicles would enable COMCAR to consider the viability of introducing electric vehicles into its fleet as older cars were decommissioned.
Chief executive officer of EV Engineering Ian McCleave said COMCAR was the first fleet in Australia to trial the vehicles.
He said the car was designed to demonstrate the technical viability and customer attractiveness of a large electric car made in Australia.
Mr McCleave said the feedback was positive and the cars were quiet, calm and smooth.
''We learned how we could maximise the car's effectiveness for COMCAR for example by installing additional charge spots in key locations and shortening charge times by using fast-charge and battery-switch technology,'' he said.
''The trial has demonstrated that zero-emission electric cars can easily be integrated into the vehicle mix of a demanding fleet.''