Charging along the highways and byways

This story first appeared in the April issue of AutoTalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

Bad weather delayed the start of the fifth Leading the Charge Great EV Road Trip, and also required one diversion.

The Better NZ Trust event started in Taupo on March 30 after rain forced cancellation of the March 28 start in Rotorua.

More than 400 people attended the Taupo event where about 30 EV test drives were provided, the day supported by Drive EV, Unison, Contact Energy and the Taupo City Council.

A special attraction was an early 1970s Torana GTS drag car recently converted to electric.

The collapse, due to flooding of a key bridge at Franz Josef in the South Island, also meant the road trip missed an overnight stay there and instead travelled from Westport to Ashburton then on to Wanaka.

“We’re just waiting for the third thing to happen,” laughs trust chairperson Kathryn Trounson, who adds the weather has generally been good since.

She’s travelling with husband Greg in a Hyundai Kona Electric – one of about three EVs doing the nearly 5000km trip throughout New Zealand, about seven joining the North Island section finishing at Cape Reinga around April 27.

“It’s beautiful to drive.

We’re getting about 400km range because it’s cold down here, so it’s around 180kW/h per 100km whereas we expect that to be higher in warmer areas.”

Trounson says by folding the Kona’s two rear seats flat they can also fit all their gear, including goodie bags which have a variety of items such as the March EVtalk magazine to give away.

The EV travellers have had no worries about range anxiety on the way, even able to make the long diversion from Westport to Wanaka with ease.

They’re being joined by hundreds of others for part of the way, including a Britz electric camper from Tourism Holdings driven by Tom Parker with his family on the Auckland to Kerikeri leg.

The road trip is expected to take 31 days, with stops at 30 main centres, 40 events featured and various day trips and “tiki tours” organised.

Those on the journey are in the South Island until April 16 when the EVs return to the North Island, visiting Masterton on April 17.

Along the way they’ve had official openings of EV chargers, such as Paraparaumu’s Raumati Beach DC fast charger which included trustee Sigurd Magnusson and the Kapiti Coast District Council.

Another was opened at New World Westport by Buller district mayor Garry Howard, the charger installation involving ChargeNet NZ, Foodstuffs, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) and Buller Line.

New World Westport owner and operator Chris Acklin says Foodstuffs is committed to sustainable practices and promoting the uptake of clean energy transport.

ChargeNet New Zealand chief executive officer Steve West is delighted to collaborate with New World Westport.

“This charger forms another essential building block in the ChargeNet network, opening up more of our beautiful country to the electric revolution and helping to shape New Zealand’s sustainable transport future,” he says.

About 40 to 50 people attended each charger opening.

Other events include the Ecotricity Auckland day at Smales Farm in Takapuna on April 24, where rides and drives will be provided by Auckland City Electric Vehicles.

A festival of music and sustainable farming practices was scheduled at Managapiri Downs Organic Stud Farm, Southland, with Indie Folk and Blues artists Paul Ubana Jones and Lachie Hayes expected to perform for several hundred concert goers.

Displays and drives of electric farm bikes and EVs, sustainable farming displays including drones and more were planned on April 7.

EV City hosts the road trip’s Christchurch stop on April 14 with three major events including a guest appearance by international EV advocate Chelsea Sexton at a screening of the movie Revenge of the Electric Car the previous evening.

The final road show event on April 26 will be hosted by the Kerikeri Retirement Village which has an EV fleet for residents.

EV travellers are using a Power Trip app developed by Richard Heaps which is tailored to each car and driver, and includes finding the best charging spots.

ChargeNet has donated all rapid charging use on its network for registered Leading the Charge participants.

Visit www.leadingthecharge.org.nz or more information.