Auckland City Electric Vehicles dealership opens

This story first appeared in the August issue of EVtalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

A new electric vehicle business has opened in Auckland, but those behind it have considerable experience in the automotive industry.

Auckland City Electric Vehicles (ACEV) is up and running at 106 Anzac Street in Takapuna on Auckland’s North Shore.

Hadley Hargadon is ACEV general manager and partner Alana Clarke is the office manager, with Greg Kent helping in sales.

All three have been involved in the industry prior.

In fact, ACEV could just as well stand for Allan Clarke EVs as the new business stemmed from a dinner table discussion involving him.

“Allan and Hadley got talking, as dad’s business (Allan Clarke Motors in Albany) had good suppliers in the UK and Japan,” Alana Clarke says.

“He saw a gap in the market for EVs and could offer a service.
Both Allan and Hadley have strong car backgrounds and I was involved in marketing and finance,” she says, recalling as a child often visiting her father’s car yard.

Allan Clarke Motors, which started in July 1979, was an institution in Auckland – particularly on the North Shore, for around a decade.

He used to describe his business – visited by customers from all over Auckland – as being “only 12 minutes north of the bridge”.
ACEV, which is a division of Allan Clarke Motors, is now just two minutes north of the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

ACEV stocks Nissan Leafs – including the 2018 versions, BMW i3s, and can also order EVs to meet a customer wishes.
A 2018 Nissan eNV200 40kW/h van is arriving soon.

While many of the EVs are UK sourced, some are also coming from Japan – Hargadon insisting on 5A top quality vehicles.
His background in car sales in Christchurch and on the Gold Coast comes in handy in such instances.

EV education plays a major part in ACEV’s business.

ACEV has a Rolec charger in the yard and is planning a charging wall in the office intended to be educational for visitors.
“People want to know about charging,” Hargadon says.

He says electric is the way of the future in transportation.
“There are so many reasons to go electric, and I don’t see any not to.
”
Fuel costs (especially with Auckland’s fuel tax), the heavily reduced maintenance costs, zero emissions and the quietness associated with an EV are encouraging more and more people to investigate EV ownership.

As one of the only designated EV yards on the North Shore, ACEV already gets plenty of enquiries.

Both Hargadon and Alana Clarke are keen on sustainability and say young people particularly are very environmentally conscious and like EVs.
Many businesses seeking a greener image are showing interest in an EV fleet too.

“We can all do our bit for the planet,” Clarke says.
“Many people tell us they would love an EV.
”
They believe owning an EV can change people’s lives.
“One friend who has a BMW i3 says he feels a better person for it, is more environmentally aware and he no longer even uses plastic bags,” Hargadon says.

He says he’s seen sceptics get behind the wheel of an EV and quickly come around to the idea of owning one.

Visitors to ACEV can find out for themselves as the company allows people to test drive an EV overnight so they can determine if it is suitable for them.

Range anxiety is less of an issue with customers these days, many of the new cars having greater range and some of the BMW i3s come with a range extender feature.

Hargadon and Clarke aim to expand their business, possibly even seeking bigger premises, as the EV interest grows.

Meanwhile, they plan to get married early next year.

You could say the traditional wedding poem “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” could apply to their business.

The “old” being their industry experience, the “new” their yard, “borrowed” as in customer testing of their EVs, and “blue” simply standing for electric.

Visit acev.co.nz, email sales@acev.co.nz

, phone 022 157 8317 or drop in to the yard for more information.