Page 25 - Tropic Magazine Issue 36

TROPIC • ENVIRONMENT

2

Future-focused

CAIRNS CARS
Volvo’s electric vehicles have
arrived in Cairns.
3
Cairns Cars has partnered with Volvo
and the Swedish car company’s
commitment to sustainability. Run by award-winning husband and
Volvo has set a target of achieving 50 per wife team Alan Ren and Connie Kang,
cent of its sales as pure electric cars by Historically, Volvo’s Cairns Cars also represents Audi, Skoda,
2025 (less than three years away!) as well mission has been focused Peugeot, GWM and Haval. Mr Ren told
as to have all new models made Tropic he’s excited to have Volvo join the
electric-only by 2030. All manufacturing on improving safety, family. “Volvo is in line with the Swedish
is also completely green, with factories but this has now been values of being humble, being honest and
running on solar and hydrogen. being very ethical,” he said. Cairns Cars,
Cairns Cars’ current star of the show is expanded to include located on the corner of Mulgrave Road
a Volvo XC90 SUV – a hybrid model that sustainability and Lyons Street, is set to reveal its new
runs completely on electricity for trips Volvo showroom in October.
under 50 kilometres. Alan Ren
The dealership also has a petrol-run Dealer Principal 1. Queensland Government 2. Alan Ren
3. Volvo XC90 SUV
XC40 SUV on display, the electric coupe Cairns Cars
version of which is due to arrive in Cairns MORE: cairnscars.com
later this year.

But what about the batteries? How is the power in
Plenty of investment is going into R&D to improve Queensland’s grid produced?
batteries. The dominant lithium-ion batteries come Renewable energy sources
with two main challenges: Coal

1 Materials in the batteries, like cobalt and lithium, 20.4%
can be scarce, expensive and problematic because
mining carries harsh environmental and social costs. 79.6%
(as of January 2022)
Source: Queensland Department
2 Battery recycling is currently inefficient and expensive. of Energy and Public Works

25 • tropicnow.com.au