Half-way for Leading the Charge road trip

Free electric bus trips and a convoy of electric vehicles on March 23 provide a not so distant future glimpse of how Wellington roads will look.

The Wellington City Council is hosting the Leading the Charge EV road trip on its way from Bluff to Cape Reinga, with action centred in Cuba Street, and also at the Dowse Museum in Lower Hutt.

Visitors can see, ride in and test drive an EV from a range including Tesla, BMW, Hyundai and Nissan, or ride for free on Tranzurban’s all-electric buses running every 30 minutes from lower Cuba Street. About 10 electric double-decker buses will be introduced to Wellington later this year.

The demonstration bus will be trialled across New Zealand by Tranzit Group, Transurban’s parent company, with 32 fully electric double-deckers due in service by the end of 2021.

Wellington mayor Justin Lester, a regular EV user, says it’s important for cities to encourage environmentally-friendly modes of transport. “In the next three decades, we’re going to see the city’s population boom, and for many people it may not be an option to give up the family car altogether. As they become more common, I’d hope EVs also become more accessible and affordable for the everyday family.”

The convoy will be parked on lower Cuba Street (Manners to Wakefield streets) from 11am to 7pm.

“This is a chance for Wellingtonians to see what the future of their city looks like,” council technology and climate change portfolio leader Dave Lee says. “We’re seeing an exponential uptake of electric vehicles in the capital and across New Zealand. It’s a movement we’re excited to be supporting.”

More than 7000 EVs are now in New Zealand, and in Wellington EV numbers have risen from 289 at the start of 2017 to 842 this year.

The Leading the Charge road trip started in bluff on March 14 and finished at Cape Reinga around April 4.