Australian startup, Ion-Blue, offers an offsetting carbon service, allowing EV owners to recharge their cars using 100-per-cent renewable energy.
EV, or electric vehicles, are known to be the more environmentally-friendly choice for transport. However, these vehicles are still powered by non-sustainable batteries and fuel cells.
The company stated that it noticed the misalignment between the intention of the vehicle owners and their environmental impact, thus launching a company that seeks to “bridge the gap” and allow customers to travel with less carbon footprint vs fossil fuel-based providers.
“Our goal is to spread awareness regarding how we currently use electric vehicles, and how we can improve this use to better support the renewable energy industry,” said Mathew Gaal, founder of Ion-Blue.
“Although EVs are a great technological advancement, generally, their environmental footprint, taking into account the vehicles’ end-to-end lifecycle and charging mechanisms, is not significantly better than that of a traditional combustion engine vehicle. We want to change that”
The service works by calculating the annual electricity output for each subscriber and offsets this consumption by matching the energy consumed from a renewable source like solar, hydro or wind.
“Our environmental subscription service is easy to use, low effort and low cost. Something that can support the renewable energy industry while also educating the public,” adds Gaal.
Australia’s EV sector has witnessed a 200-per-cent increase, with the number of vehicles rapidly increasing due to incentives introduced by state governments. With the number of sales in the country hitting 24,078 last year.
According to the startup, the increased uptake is a wake-up call for the industry, and the company aims to change consumers’ dependency on fossil fuels, which are significant contributors to climate change.
Ion-Blue launched in February and plans to expand worldwide in the latter part of this year.
