EV world trip features in VW museum

Global EV traveller Wiebe Wakker’s story about his drive in a converted Volkswagen Golf station wagon ‘Blue Bandit’ from the Netherlands to New Zealand features in Volkswagen’s Autostadt museum in Germany.

Wakker crossed 34 countries after leaving Amsterdam in his EV on March 15, 2016, aiming to inspire people about sustainable mobility and asking for people’s help to reach the other side of the world.

His record-breaking single journey was initially scheduled to finish in Sydney

on April 7 last year after 1119 days, but he continued on to New Zealand where he finished his trek in July 2019, doing more than 100,000km.

Never before had anyone driven this far in an electric car on a single trip, the achievement now recognised at Volkswagen’s Autostadt for its exhibition ‘New mobility – new thinking’ until April 2021.

Wakker’s car along with various collected objects, stories, photos and videos feature in Autostadt’s ‘ZeitHaus’ pavilion.

The Plug Me In project was selected by Autostadt because it was a great idea that set people in motion and made people think.

The Dutchman also found an excellent way to demonstrate the possibilities of electric driving, easing range anxiety and other mindsets preventing e-mobility uptake.

“I am incredibly grateful that my story is being exhibited,” Wakker says.

“The ZeitHaus is a place where only cars and projects that have a significant place in automotive history can be seen.

“I would never have dared to dream of this to happen. I am also proud that my story continues to be a tool to inspire people about the transition to sustainable mobility.”