EV City launch April 6

Canterbury’s electric and hybrid vehicle specialist store EV City officially opens on April 6.

Former Christchurch mayor and current councillor Vicki Buck will do the honours at EV City’s showroom at 158 Wordsworth Street in Sydenham, Christchurch, at 6pm.

Owner and EV specialist David Boot will welcome guests and explain more about his new business and the electric vehicle revolution.

Special guests also include National Party education spokeswoman Nikki Kaye who will give some insights into EV policies, and French students Heloise de Bokay and Solene Trinquet who are touring New Zealand in a Jucy prototype electric camper van.

A variety of all-electric and hybrid cars will be displayed – the showroom able to fit 28 comfortably. Boot says many have just come in after delays because of the stink bug issue and industrial action at the Lyttelton Port.

He’ll have a range including Nissan Leafs and e-NV200 vans, hybrid Mazdas, Nissan Note e-Power hybrids and plug-in Toyota Prius hybrids.

Electric bikes from Watt Wheels will also be available.

Two 22kW Rolec chargers with two types of outlets will be available outside the 580 square metre showroom, free for customer use.

“These will also be available Friday and Saturday nights for anyone buying a Nissan Leaf or Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid for taxi or Uber purposes,” Boot says.

A waiting/lounge area can also be used by customers.

To add some humour, EV City has produced a few t-shirts with slogans and graphics. One says “I love (heart graphic) range anxiety”, another has a reference to AC/DC charging, and a third has an image of a leaf holding binoculars in relation to Leaf Spy.

So why establish EV City? “The Government has called for 64,000 EVs by 2020, but in Christchurch little has happened with private industry not answering the call,” Boot says. “So let’s do it!”

Boot says many people tell him EVs are the future. “But this is now – not the future.”

Doors open 5.30pm on April 6.

Search for EV City on Facebook and Instagram or contact David Boot on 0275 768 007.