Introducing... Number 2, our next generation Poo Car!

Move on over Australia’s first poo powered car, you’ve been instrumental in trialling our waste to resource innovation idea, but technology has evolved and there's a new car in town! 

Four summary points about the car

Meet Number 2, Australia’s first 100% electric small SUV, powered 100% by poo. Now, we know what you’re thinking… where does the poo go? How much poo does it need to fill up? Does it smell?

All very good questions!

Not to poo-poo your imagination or block any toilet jokes, but the answer is pretty straight forward – the car is electric and it’s the electricity that is generated from the sewage that arrives at our Oxley Creek Resource Recovery Centre. By harnessing the power of poo, we’re not only reducing our operating costs but helping the environment by using a cleaner, greener energy source.

It all comes down to your waste and the cogeneration unit. Around 55 megalitres of wastewater arrives at Oxley Creek every day – the equivalent of 22 Olympic swimming pools.

The sewage enters the plant via our vast sewer pipe network. First, the solids are screened out, the wastewater then moves on to the bioreactors, which are like big ponds where bugs work to break down about 60 per cent of the nutrients. The next step is the digesters, where further nutrients are broken down. This process is anaerobic, meaning no oxygen is present. This is where the biogas is produced, which is mainly made up of methane gas. That methane then goes into the cogeneration units to drive an engine which generates power.

 

The original idea was pitched at our CEO Innovation Hour, a forum where staff have the opportunity to bring an idea directly to our CEO. It took about a year to investigate and we were able to launch Australia’s first poo-powered car.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, even Australia’s first poo powered car. It was purchased as a second-hand vehicle and has reached the end of its lifecycle. It will be kept at our Luggage Point Resource Recovery Centre and incorporated into existing educational tours.

Take a trip down memory lane with our launch video.

 

 

The things you didn't know you wanted to know...

Q. How do you service the Poo Car?
A: As the Kona Electric does not have a petrol motor so there are fewer moving parts that require servicing.  All the parts and servicing are supported by the Hyundai Dealer Network.

Q. How much sewage does it take to power a full charge of the car?
A: It takes about 150,000 litres of sewage to power a full charge of Number Two, which is the average daily sewage from around 1,000 people.

Q. Do you have any other electric cars?
A. Number Two will be used alongside Australia's first poo-powered car, which we launched in 2017.

Q. What are the environmental benefits?
A. As we’re using renewable energy, it’s more environmentally friendly. By using poo to generate our own electricity we’re reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. 

Q. How much are you reducing greenhouse gas emissions? 
A. As our electric car is powered by poo, there are no greenhouse gas emissions.

Q. What are the cost savings to Queensland Urban Utilities?
A. As we’re generating the electricity from poo at our sewage treatment plant it’s not costing us anything to fuel this car. 

The car is based at Oxley and shared by our trade waste officers and treatment plant operators. We also bring it along to a wide range of community events. If you see us out and about, make sure you come and say hi and take a picture with the Poo Car.