Mark Gilbert drives electric

Drive Electric chair Mark Gilbert practices what he preaches.

He started with an electric BMW i3, went to a BMW 330 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and has now traded that in for an all-electric Audi e-tron 55.

After three years driving the PHEV, Gilbert says he “felt like a change” and wanted to go fully electric to practice what he preaches.

It so happens that Audi New Zealand general manager Dean Sheed is on the Drive Electric board and he suggested Gilbert test drive an e-tron.

“I love it,” says Gilbert of the EV.

He and his wife have just moved to a narrow Auckland street, so Gilbert had considered a smaller EV but is glad he chose the Audi e-tron, which EVs and Beyond

has featured – including the newly arrived Sportback profiled in the November EVs and Beyond magazine.

Gilbert says the e-tron’s 400km plus range is plenty for his travel needs.