Road trip set to spread the word

This story first appeared in the February issue of EVtalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

Momentum is the magic driving the uptake of electric vehicles in New Zealand.

The Better NZ Trust’s annual #LeadingTheCharge road trip will kick off in Bluff on March 14.

My husband Steve and I are two of the trust’s founding members and it’s with great pride that we’ve seen the annual road trip – one of the highlights in the New Zealand EV calendar – grow and grow.

A close friend and EV champion from Northland (sometimes referred to as the cradle of EV civilisation) Margaret Baker will be driving our bright red Tesla Model X for the entire #LeadingTheCharge road trip.

We know that one of the main ways to get people excited about electric vehicles is by getting them into the driver’s seat. With that in mind, rides and drives in the Tesla and many other electric vehicles will be open to the public in 26 stops across the country throughout the event.

Having recently been awarded charitable status, the Better NZ Trust will also be actively seeking support from businesses and the public to continue its epic efforts in sharing the joy of electric vehicle ownership.
This is the fourth year the road trip has rolled silently through New Zealand, powered by the predominantly hydro-powered electrical grid of Aotearoa.

The first happened across the first three weeks of January 2015. That saw Carl Barlev (Blue Cars), Nick Smith (ChargeNet chief operating officer), Steve West (ChargeNet chief executive), Dee West (ChargeNet communications manager) and James West (youngest child of Steve and Dee) meeting people from one tip of New Zealand to the other, and taking them for a wild ride in the nation’s first two fully electric Tesla Model S cars.

All of the founding participants are today proud owners of a wide range of full battery electric vehicles, spanning the entire range of available options, and they’re continuing to eagerly share their cars to put more EV grins on faces across New Zealand.

Due to work and family commitments, the originals will not be attending all the events this year. They are all working hard at the coalface of EV uptake for a cleaner, greener, quieter and more energy independent transport solution for New Zealand.

But we are pleased to see the growth in our burgeoning community and are happy to be able to pass the torch on to a new generation of EVangelists.
In the first year of the road trip, there were fewer than 100 registered electric vehicles on New Zealand roads. This year, well over 7000 will be soaring around, saving the planet with their zero emissions.

On behalf of the team at ChargeNet, I wish everyone involved with the road trip all the best and encourage you all to come out and support it and show the rest of New Zealand why we are all so excited to be EV owners.