Did you know that Queensland has the longest Electric Super Highway in the World?!
It stretches from Coolangatta up to Port Douglas, from Brisbane west to Longreach, and Townsville all the way to Mt Isa. Fast-chargers are conveniently located every 50-80 kilometres along the routes.
The Queensland Electric Super Highway opens up a world adventure for electric vehicle drivers and was built by the Queensland Government, in partnership with Yurika Energy and RACQ.
When it’s time to recharge, simply pop into a local town, get a boost, and explore while you wait.
Lee and his mate Matt rented a Tesla Model Y for a weekend and tested it out on a drive along the QESH to Esk. This cracking country town is about an hour and a half, or 100k’s, from Brisbane.
Now, you may have some questions about an EV road trip:
“How far can we go?”
“What if we run out of battery…How do we charge it?”
We caught up with Michael from RACQ, who’s used to answering.
He says that most standard EVs get around 400km of range out of a full charge, while long-range models can get more than 600km.
Most electric vehicles will also tell you when you need to recharge and direct you to the closest charger along your route with the built-in GPS, or you can navigate to fast-chargers on most map apps.
Michael also says “With electric cars, the battery is more like a phone, where you just top it up. Sometimes you fill it up overnight, but you might just grab a few percent here and there, and you plug it in. You would stop for coffee, for 15mins add some juice…stop for lunch at a great pub like this, charge to 80%…Then you get to the hotel where you’re staying and you charge overnight. So in some ways it’s maybe more convenient than a petrol car.”
Michael, Lee and Matt enjoyed lunch at The Esk Grand Hotel, while the Tesla charged. This place is definitely worth a stop – the chef serves up both classic pub fare and culinary delights (check out the menu!).
Over lunch, Michael shed light on the growing popularity of EVs. The Tesla Model Y is now the number one passenger car in Australia, outselling petrol, electric and diesel vehicles. EVs are cheaper to run and maintain, and with ongoing advancements, they’re on track to become more affordable than petrol vehicles.
Long-distance travel is about to become even more convenient for EV enthusiasts. With 55 fast-chargers already on the Queensland Electric Super Highway, the QLD Government is partnering with organisations like RACQ to add another 46 to regional towns.
That’s welcome news to small businesses and tourism operators, like Paul Lawson at Esk Caravan Park.
He created brand-new luxury glamping to accommodate the growing demand of road-trippers and EV drivers looking for an eco-adventure.
“We’ve got Mt Glenrock behind us, we’re on the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail which runs from Ipswich to Yaraman. We’ve got two lakes, Wivenhoe and Somerset so you can go out with your canoes. So eco-tourism is a really happening thing out here in the Somerset Region.”
With Tesla chargers available in the park itself, and the fast-charger in town, Esk is not just a pit stop; it’s a destination. With fresh air, country charm and scenery to boot, you could say it’s the prefect place to recharge your batteries.
If you’re keen to explore the state in an EV, you can find plenty of inspiration and info on the RACQ website.
Members also get 20% off EV rentals with SIXT*, and free charging at select location. Check the website for promo dates and T&C’s.
* T&Cs apply. This offer is available from 11 October 2023 to 29 January 2024 with blackout periods 22 December 2023 – 6 January 2024. This offer is available at participating locations only and is subject to availability. For more information, please see www.racq.com.au/sixt
