Drive Electric Week events growing

Drive Electric Week starts in New Zealand on September 8 with a growing number of events being added to the list.

It will be launched first internationally on September 8 from 7am with an EV display at the Whangarei Growers Market, the display returning on September 15.

The September 8 event is followed by a morning tea at the Totara Cafe in Tikipunga, Whangarei, 10.30am.

Corporate EVs will be displayed and rides and drives available at QBE Stadium in Albany, Auckland, September 8, noon-4pm.

Wellington EV advocates Sigurd Magnusson and Jorn Scherzer talk EVs at the War Memorial Library in Lower Hutt on September 8, 1.3pm-2.30pm.

Flip the Fleet’s Henrik Moller provides short presentations at an EV presentations and drives afternoon the same day at the Central Stories Museum & Art Gallery in Alexandra from 3pm. The event links with an exhibition on climate change.

Moller is also helping with The Hare & the Turtle EV

gathering at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell on September 9.

The park opens for charging, scanning your EVs, fitting EV black boxes and a science briefing from 7.30am.

A safety briefing from the Highlands professional drivers will be at 9am.

Two experiments will be run on the race track and one outside the park until 11 am, testing the reliability of battery health and internal resistance measures and the effect of tyre pressure on energy efficiency range.

The public arrive from 11am for test drives and advice. A Motorkhana event runs on the track at the same time.

At noon, the Pit Lane function areas host short talks by EV and motoring experts, followed by demonstration drag races around 1pm with ChargetNet NZ’s Tesla taking on the Highlands Ferrari.

EV drivers can do two circuits of the main racetrack behind a pace to end the day by 2pm.

The Otago Electric Vehicle Society is organising this event and seeks a $25 donation per car to defray costs.

RSVP to wecan@flipthefleet.org

if attending.

More EV rides and drives are offered on September 9 at the Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Market from 8.30am.

Dee West speaks at a Northland Regional Council EV event in Whangarei on September 12 from 5.30pm, and the Rotorua Night Market hosts EVs on September 13 from 5pm.

Also on September 13, an “Electric car and e-bike showcase” is at the Newtown Community and Cultural Centre, Wellington, from 5.30pm.

EVs are included in the Hawke’s Bay Home and Garden Show in Napier on September 14-16 9am-4pm.

A world record attempt at the “longest parade of electric cars” (set at 402 cars, 3km long in Denmark) will be made in Christchurch on September 16, 11am, to wrap up the week.