Department of Finance and Deregulation agency, COMCAR has procured an electric Holden Commodore into its fleet for trial.

COMCAR is the first Australian fleet to trial an Australian fully electric car with battery switch technology, according to a release from the Special Minister of State.

The release said project is designed to demonstrate technical viability for a large electric car.

This will include developing electric vehicle engineering skills and components within the Australian automotive industry.

COMCAR will consider the viability of introducing electric vehicles into its fleet as older vehicles are decommissioned following the trial of the zero emissions vehicle.

It will evaluate the vehicle across a range of measures including energy efficiency, Green Vehicle Guide rating, passenger comfort, practicality and luggage capacity.

Special Minister of State, Gary Gray said a two-week trial “around the clock” will help COMCAR determine the suitability of electric cars for its 146-car fleet and how these vehicles meet government environmental objectives

“EV Engineering is building seven proof-of-concept electric Holden Commodores with the assistance of a $3.5 million grant from the Australian Government’s New Car Plan for Greener Future,” Mr Gray said.

Melbourne-based consortium EV Engineering developed the electric Commodore, which is capable of switching its depleted battery for a fully-charged one.

This will eliminate long charging times when battery switch infrastructure is available in Australia.