Drive Electric Week gets into gear

The 8th annual Drive Electric Week (DEW) from September 8–16 includes more than 300 registered events across New Zealand, the US and Canada.

Last year, 276 events attracted more than 120,000 people – with far greater numbers expected this time.

Many events feature ride-and-drives – an ideal way to learn about EVs, DEW organisers say.

William Stewart of Christchurch intends driving his 2013 Nissan Leaf to The Hare & the Turtle EV gathering at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell on September 9.

“People always say that you can’t do long distance travel on a Leaf, so I want to prove them wrong. I’m going to drive to Invercargill this week and then head back via Cromwell on my way home.”
Also at the Cromwell event, ecologist and Flip the Fleet founder Henrik Moller is keen to “accelerate uptake of electric vehicles in New Zealand” through science and crowd sourced data.

“This weekend we’re looking to test battery health measuring systems and the effect of tyre pressure on EV range,” he says.

At Cromwell, citizen scientists will use their EVs to do experiments to test the reliability of battery health and internal resistance measures and the effect of tyre pressure on energy efficiency range.

The public are invited from 11am for test drives, rides and general information. At noon, there will be presentations from EV and motoring experts, followed by the main event at 1pm – a drag race between the ChargeNet NZ Tesla Model S and the Highlands Motorsport Ferrari.

The day ends with two circuits of the main race track by EVs.

Other South Island events include a Christchurch Electric Vehicle Club’s gathering at EV City, Sydenham, on September 12 from 6.30pm with a chance to drive and look at EVs, including one built in 1903. At 7.30pm, local experts about EV issues.

On September 15, the Christchurch EV club visits the new EV chargers at The Warehouse Rangiora for test drives, rides and advice from 10am to 2pm.

Temuka New World hosts an EV display and test drives or rides on September 15, 10am to noon.

Yoogo Share has a special rate to drive its shared fleet of BMW i3s and Hyundai Ioniqs for Drive Electric week. All private members can take a car from 6pm to 8am for $10 for all bookings that week. Yoogo Share is free to join and no membership fees apply.

A world record attempt at the “longest parade of electric cars” (set at 402 cars, 3km long in Denmark) scheduled in Christchurch on September 16 has been cancelled.

North Island events start on September 8 at 7am with an EV display at the Whangarei Growers’ Market.