Better NZ Trust RoadTour starts September 26

The annual Leading the Charge RoadTour from September 26 to October 3 features separate EV tours of the North Island and South Island this year.

The event coinciding with International Drive Electric Week and organised by the Better NZ Trust has seen some planned site visits cancelled because of delays to the various projects caused by COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

These include a visit to see Wellington’s electric ferry, a wind farm and a geothermal site, while some other stop overs like viewing Christchurch-based Electric Air’s Pipistrel training aircraft, Benmore Dam, and Queenstown’s electric Shotover jetboat are still planned.

Both island routes cover about 1700km – “so it’s not onerous or arduous,” says Better NZ Trust chair Kathryn Trounson who expects EV drivers and passengers will have “a jolly good time”.

“It’s more like an EV holiday or rally this year,” she adds.

The North Island tour starts in Auckland and takes in a loop covering New Plymouth, Whanganui, Upper Hutt and returning either via Featherston in the Wairarapa or the Kapiti Coast, stopping at Feilding, Taupo and taking in the Coromandel and Thames before arriving back at Greenlane in Auckland.

Trounson expects many new Tesla Model 3 owners to join the tours, with about 14 EVs carrying 21 people due at the New Plymouth stop.

“Half the cars are Tesla Model 3s with a Tesla X, a Tesla S, three Hyundai Kona Electrics and two Nissan Leafs,” she says.

One Model 3 will leave the North Island tour at Upper Hutt and take the Cook Strait ferry to Picton to join up with the South Island trippers, travelling as far as Queenstown.

Steve West is providing road trippers with free charging at the ChargeNet NZ sites, which Trounson says the Better NZ Trust really appreciates.

ChargeNet representatives West and James Cozens are also doing the South Island loop, leaving company communications manager Bailey Gorst to accompany the North Island road trip back.

The South Island loop starts in Dunedin and covers Christchurch, Kaikoura, Blenheim, Nelson, the West Coast, Darfield, Geraldine, Twizel, Queenstown and back to Dunedin.

About eight EVs carrying 16 people have so far been confirmed for the South Island trip which includes three Tesla Model 3s, a Model X, a Model S, two Konas and a 30kW Leaf.

Some travellers may drop in on family or friends on the way – a subtle way to show EVs can travel distance in comfort, style and very economically, Trounson says.

For more information contact kathryn@betternz.org for the North Island tour or Martin Kane on martin@betternz.org for the South Island trip.