Electric camper in automotive exhibition

This story first appeared in the february issue of Evtalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

A prototype electric campervan developed by hire company Jucy and tested by two French students on a five-month tour of New Zealand features in the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) exhibition Accelerate: Driving New Zealand.

It’s at the Western Springs venue in Auckland for the next three months in the display of technology and innovation which delves into the past, present, and future of New Zealand’s relationship with vehicles.

The $35,000 electric Nissan e-NV200 was converted in early 2018 into a custom-built campervan by the company’s manufacturing plant Jucy By Design in Helensville, north-west Auckland.

It was then trialled by French environmental students Heloise de Bokay and Solene Trinquet, who travelled around New Zealand last year, sharing their eco-adventures in their blog www.
newsandland.
com, their travels also featuring in EVtalk.

The e-camper is included in a display which focuses on technology and innovation in everything from electric and autonomous vehicles to those previously used by Sir Edmund Hillary and Queen Elizabeth.

It also outlines the rise and fall of vehicle assembly in New Zealand, and the relaxation of restrictions on Japanese used imports.

MOTAT events developer Rachel Bush says the exhibition, which started its two-year run in June 2018, is about so much more than the vehicles themselves.

“Rather than just showcasing the vehicles, we look at how it has affected the New Zealand driver.It’s more about future tech rather than highlighting an amazing Porsche.

”It shows the change in New Zealand vehicle technology.
The key themes are in vehicle technology and innovation.”

What’s on display?
The plan is to keep vehicles rotating in and out of the exhibition, but there are several worth a special mention.

First up is the Jucy electric campervan made famous by the French students.

Following the initial trial, Jucy is working on extending the driving range of its EV fleet from 100km to 180+km per charge, with plans to roll out five more EV campervans in 2019.

“This EV campervan is a perfect example of the Kiwi innovation and ingenuity we like to highlight at Motat,” chief executive Michael Frawley says.

Motat’s 1965 prototype version of the Trekka illustrates the only vehicle to be designed and mass produced in New Zealand.

The Trekka skipped stringent tariffs applied to other cars because 80% of its parts were locally sourced, with about 2500 vehicles processed in two different models.

“The government fostered assembly to create jobs.
It was sustainable because you could fit six cars in a case,” Motat public programmes co-ordinator Mark Webster says.

One vehicle in the exhibition with a real story behind it is the 1948 Daimler DE36, used to transport Queen Elizabeth II during her 1953-1954 New Zealand royal tour.

However, in 1955 the Daimler’s life took a very different turn after it was converted into a hearse by funeral directors WH Tongue and Sons.

Sir Edmund Hillary’s Massey Ferguson tractor that helped get food and supplies to the South Pole in January 1958 is also part of the exhibition.

Industry support
The automotive industry has been hugely supportive of the exhibition, with well-known names like the Giltrap Group and Rod Milner Motors getting involved.

Giltrap Group lent Motat its former A1 GP racing car Black Beauty to put on display for a time, and also participated in a video explaining more about developments in the automotive industry.

Meanwhile, Darren Milner, son of Rod, was involved in the production of a video for the exhibition, outlining how the accessible vehicles the company retrofits and imports can make a difference for disabled people.

Bush says both the Giltraps and Milners have been very generous with their time and resources supporting the exhibition.

Other interesting features of the exhibition include an augmented reality display that illustrates how an engine works, while many of the vehicles are elevated so the underside of the cars can be seen.

Visit www.motat.org.nz for more information.