Mater trials electric vehicles

Mater at Home and Mater Pathology staff are trialling electric vehicles as a part of a research program being run in partnership with Origin Energy and ARENA (Australian Renewable Energy Agency).

The Hyundai IONIQ vehicles are part of an 18-month program that will support Mater’s environmental sustainability goal to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

Mater Chief Executive Officer Dr Peter Steer said the program included the use of smart meters to collect data on the environmental savings of using the electric vehicles.

“Mater’s environmental sustainability journey began in 2008 and we have made great improvements in the fuel efficiency of our fleet since that time,” Dr Steer said.

“However, with electric vehicles becoming more available and petrol prices sky-rocketing, there has never been a better time for Mater to take its next step towards adopting environmentally friendly transport options.”

Dr Steer said Mater recently endorsed 25 key performance indicators to support its environmental sustainability goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

“A key priority in our plan to reach this goal is to prioritise the reduction of emissions from electricity and combusted fuels, including transport fuels,” he said.

Mater at Home will use one of the Hyundai IONIQ vehicles to send allied health professionals and nurses to homes in the community for in-home care and the other car will be used by Mater Pathology as part of the fleet used to transport specimens to the laboratory at South Brisbane. The cars, which were recently delivered, are accompanied by two onsite chargers.

Mater Environmental Sustainability Project Officer Ngaire McGaw said, “As the trial is conducted, we will be collecting data to give us the chance to demonstrate proof of concept and assist in making future sustainable transport decisions.”