Job offer ends Uniquad journey

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

Simon Hartley’s just finished about five and a half years working on the UniQuad – and he’s landed a job out of it.

He’s leaving the Unitec Institute of Technology in Mt Albert, Auckland, where the electric and hydrogen-powered four-wheel vehicle has been developed, to work for the company that supplied the UniQuad’s hydrogen fuel cell.

Hartley takes up his position with Arcola Energy in North London at the end of January and will be working on vehicle development and prototype maintenance.

The engineer has been everything from a student to a lecturer, technician, research assistant and project manager at Unitec.

The UniQuad (named after Unitec) will remain on display in the institute’s new multimillion-dollar trades, engineering and construction facility called Mataaho.

Designed as a farm tool and suitable for mining, hunting and recreational activities, the UniQuad has a 100km range on battery alone and around 600-700km combined range adding the hydrogen.

Hartley says it can reach a top speed of nearly 200kmh but has been governed to about 60kmh for safety.

He wanted to develop a more user-friendly farm vehicle to help stop the deaths associated with quads, with an average of about five people killed and 850 injured on the farm every year.

It’s expected the licence and technology to make the UniQuad might eventually be sold elsewhere.

The UniQuad was mentioned in two separate talks at the APEC electric vehicle and hydrogen technology workshop in Wellington in November.