French tourists share NZ EV story

The New Zealand electric vehicle community’s enthusiasm and determination has inspired two French students during their seven-month “ecolectric” EV tour which started in January.

Heloise de Bokay and Solene Trinquet checked out the Leading the Charge EV road trip while in Nelson on March 20 and have shared New Zealand’s EV story through their “News&Land” website and social media.

“Everything started when some citizens wanted to use their electric vehicles and had gathered people to install some charging stations,” they say.

From hardly any EVs on NZ roads three years ago, there are now more than 6500, the two say.

“Their enthusiasm and their determination have inspired us, so we would like to thank them with our own way.”

The pair are travelling around the country in a Jucy prototype Nissan eNV200 electric campervan, looking at sustainable projects and talking with EV people.

They say developing electric mobility for tourism could help significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions here, using the country’s considerable renewable energy resources.

They are also setting up exchanges between New Zealand and French schools, having already visited Kapiti College near Wellington.

Trinquet and de Bokay say most EVs in New Zealand are imported from Japan, China and Britain, and they support citizen initiatives to develop the market.

They are continuing around the South Island during the next few months and then intend finishing off parts of the North Island by July before returning to France where they plan a documentary of their tour.

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