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Polestar is testing a revolutionary electric charging infrastructure in the middle of the Australian Outback.
A Polestar 2 electric car has made a pioneering 435-mile journey through one of the remotest parts of Australia.
The epic trip even included travelling along the Eyre Highway. This features the single longest straight road in Australia, at almost 56 miles with no deviation.
To make the trip possible, Polestar brought a revolutionary approach to electric vehicle charging to the middle of the Outback.
Crossing the Nullarbor Plain, the Eyre Highway runs between Adelaide in South Australia and Perth in Western Australia. The most isolated section, driven by Polestar, lies between the West Australian towns of Caiguna and Southern Cross.
Driving an electric car on this route would have been impossible without the efforts of retired engineer, Jon Edwards.
Edwards had previously identified the section of road would not be covered by a proposed electric vehicle highway in Western Australia.
His solution was to create the BiØfil fast-charging system, which uses waste ‘chip fat’ (vegetable oil) from fryers.
The oil is derived from seed crops, such as canola and sunflower, which absorb carbon dioxide and sunlight. It means that the CO2 produced to power the electric charging system is equivalent to the CO2 absorbed.
Polestar powered up solely at BiØfil fast-chargers while making the trip to Perth. This included stopping at the Caiguna Roadhouse, located halfway across the Nullarbor Plain.
Waste oil from the fryers at the Caiguna Roadhouse powers the BiØfil fast chargers. Along with plugging a gap in charging infrastructure, it meant the epic journey could be completed sustainably.
Samantha Johnson, managing director of Polestar Australia, said: “Polestar is thrilled to share its passion for innovation and sustainability with visionaries like Jon Edwards.
“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.”
