It is that deeply felt love that our small but growing community of EV owners have of their cars, that I hope will get those interested – but not converted – members of the public open to joining the EV revolution.
The first time I talked to an EV owner I was taken aback by the passion that they had for their car, as well as how keen they were to get me behind the wheel.
We EVangelists know the importance of hands-on experience when it comes to converting people to EVs and that is why the #LeadingTheCharge Road Trip provides such a great opportunity to speed up the adoption of EVs.
The reality is that most Kiwi drivers still aren’t familiar with electric vehicles and have little understanding of the technology. This road trip will allow them to see the ever-expanding range of cars that are on offer to drivers – from the top of the line Tesla to a more affordable Nissan Leaf, or the highly touted BMW i3 and Hyundai Ioniq.
We also have a chance to dispel other lingering myths such as an EV’s lack of power (that torque still knocks my socks off), a lack of range, and a lack of appropriate infrastructure.
This road trip is an exciting time for all EV lovers and I’m excited to be taking part in the trip for the first time – I’ll be joining the trip from Christchurch.
I can’t wait to meet EV advocate Chelsea Sexton, witness the growth of ChargeNet’s ever-expanding network of fast chargers, and catch up with Jucy Rentals’ French EV tourists Heloise de Bokay and Solene Trinquet, who will be joining the road trip for a few days.
I’d love to meet as many EV owners as possible during the road trip and encourage you all to join us at one of the many events scheduled along the 2088km of road between Bluff and Cape Reinga.
By Shawn Moodie, who works with the Better NZ Trust and ChargeNet
[Shawn Moodie - EV Talk - 14 Mar 2018]