Is it time for an all-electric roadtrip across the Nullarbor? Polestar seems to have proven that it’s now possible.
The Swedish-Chinese electric automaker has used its Polestar 2 liftback to become the first manufacturer to trial the fully self-contained BiØfil fast-charger located along the Nullarbor Plain.
The electric vehicle (EV) charger is located at the Caiguna Roadhouse 370km east of the Western Australian town of Norseman, and 370km west of the South Australian border.
This location is said to provide an excellent halfway point for EV owners to charge their cars and allows certain owners to cross the Nullarbor Plain without running flat.
It’s also claimed that this fast-charger plugs a gap and gives certain EV owners the ability to drive their car all around Australia.
The BiØfil fast-charging system was developed by retired Australian engineer Jon Edwards and is powered by waste vegetable oil.
In this exact circumstance, the BiØfil charging station located at the Caiguna Roadhouse is powered by waste vegetable oil from its fryers.
Mr Edwards found that this type of charger in this location was much more cost-efficient than an equivalent solar EV charger.
“The cost of installing an equivalent solar-powered EV fast-charger is over five times the cost of building the BiØfill fast-charging unit,” said Mr Edwards.
“Solar energy would not have been economically feasible for such a low traffic location, making BiØfill the environmentally-friendly interim solution for EVs driving across the Nullarbor right now.”
By using this waste vegetable oil to power the generator for the EV chargers, this allows the BiØfil charging station to offset its own carbon footprint and run sustainably off-grid.
Polestar is familiar with environmental sustainability as with its Polestar 0 project, the automaker aims to create a climate-neutral car by 2030.
“Polestar is thrilled to share its passion for innovation and sustainability with visionaries like Jon Edwards,” said managing director of Polestar Australia Samantha Johnson.
“To turn a waste product into a CO2-neutral charging solution, which connects Australian EV owners from the east with the west, is the sort of ingenuity that has led to so many Australian innovations.”
This BiØfil fast-charging technology has been used previously as a portable EV fast-charger for a Tesla Model 3 during the 2021 Targa West tarmac rally.
The 2022 Polestar 2 range kicks off at just under $60,000 before on-road costs for the entry-level Standard Range Single Motor variant and extends to just under $70,000 before on-road costs and options for the Long Range Dual Motor.
In entry-level Standard Range Single Motor trim, the Polestar 2 has a 64kWh battery and a claimed range of up to 440km.
The variant with the longest claimed range is the Long Range Single Motor which has a larger 78kWh battery and a claimed range of up to 540km.
The Polestar 2 is set to go on-sale locally in February 2022.
MORE: Everything Polestar 2
