As part of a move by the City of Gosnells to reduce its carbon footprint, eight electric cars arrived at the Civic Centre last week.
Costing $272,306 (excluding GST), the vehicles will be used by city staff as part of the city’s transition to a more sustainable, eco-friendly fleet, expected to lower both fuel and operational costs.
Mayor Terresa Lynes believes the new electric vehicles are worth the investment.
“Last year, we began to switch over our light fleet to hybrid vehicles, and this year, we’re going a step further by transitioning to eight new electric fleet vehicles,” Mayor Lynes said.
“Not only will this significantly reduce the City’s fossil fuel use, but it will also make our fleet more affordable to run while reducing our impact on the environment to support a cleaner, greener future.”
Charging infrastructure to support the vehicles has been funded through a grant from the Commonwealth Government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) as part of its Driving the Nation program and the State’s Energy Policy WA.
The Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) applied for this grant on behalf of several local governments across the state.
Through this funding, the city has installed two public pay-for-use charging stations—one at Mills Park in Beckenham and another at the Civic Centre, which is currently under construction—both of which will be available for public use soon.
Additionally, five charging stations will be dedicated exclusively to the city’s new electric fleet at the Civic Centre.
The electricity powering the charging stations at both Mills Park and the Civic Centre is set to be sourced entirely from renewable energy, a result of the city’s participation in WALGA’s Sustainable Energy Project.
According to data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), Australia recorded 98,328 new vehicle sales in August 2024, marking the second-best August on record, but while consumers are embracing low-emission vehicles like hybrids, sales of battery electric vehicles have been disappointing.
Federal Member for Burt, Matt Keogh, said the city’s electric fleet and charging stations demonstrate what is possible when Federal and Local Governments collaborate.
“This funding has helped the City of Gosnells transition their fleet to Battery Electric Vehicles, which will not only save money for ratepayers, it’s also driving towards cleaner air for our community.” Mr Keogh said.
“The number of electric vehicles in our south-eastern suburbs is skyrocketing, and these new charging stations will make EVs even more accessible locally.”
The new vehicles join the city’s existing ‘light fleet,’ which includes five hybrid cars purchased last year, supported by an annual budget allocation for the replacement of fleet vehicles and equipment.
