Hyundai’s first fully electric vehicle had a test run on Queensland roads during its Australian launch on November 27.
The 2019 Ioniq range is expected to go on sale from mid-December with the top premium Ioniq Electric selling for $48,990.
Transport and main roads minister Mark Bailey was at the national launch of the electric model at Brisbane-based Tritium, a global leader in electric charging technology.
Bailey says it’s no surprise Hyundai decided to hold the national launch in Queensland as the state is fast becoming known as the Australian hot spot for electric vehicles (EVs).
“Queensland is home to the Electric Super Highway – the world’s longest in a single state and an infrastructure investment that is determining car maker policy for the entire country.”
Bailey says Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk recently visited Hyundai’s headquarters in South Korea to see electric and hydrogen-powered vehicle technology and was able to drive the Nexo, Hyundai’s hydrogen fuel cell EV.
“These technologies complement the Palaszczuk Government’s electric vehicle strategy, which identifies 16 initiatives to help shift Queensland to an environmentally friendly EV fleet,” he says.
The government will also be launching a Queensland Hydrogen Strategy next year.
Bailey says Queensland’s Electric Vehicle Superhighway is powered by super-fast charging stations supplied by Tritium.
“The fact that drivers can travel approximately 1800km, from Coolangatta to Cairns, using the latest EV charging technology gave Hyundai the impetus it needed to invest into bringing its Ioniq electric vehicle to Australia, and choosing Queensland as its launchpad into the Australian market,” he says.
“Tritium is changing the face of the global EV industry and is a great home-grown Queensland success story.”
Bailey says the EV industry is the perfect example of why Queensland has to prepare for the jobs of the future.
“A few years ago, this technology and these jobs didn’t exist and now it’s a global industry,” he says.
“We need to skill Queenslanders for the future, not just in this industry, but for all workplaces.
“That’s why the premier convened tomorrow’s Skills and Industry Summit, where industry, small business, higher education, training providers, unions and government will discuss and help the Palaszczuk Government map out Queensland’s pathway to meet the labour force needs of the future.”
