Power Trip selected for Lightning Lab programme

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

Take only photos, leave a reduced carbon footprint.

This is what an electric road trip is all about and the team from Wellington EV start-up Power Trip is exploring new ways to connect EVs to New Zealand’s tourism industry.

Power Trip is one of 10 teams selected from a pool of almost 70 applications to take part in Creative HQ’s Lightning Lab – Tourism business accelerator programme between June and August in Christchurch.

They will be working with tourism industry partners and local EV businesses like EV City, Yoogo and ChargeNet NZ to develop and test their ideas, while receiving support and advice from start-up coaches, business leaders, advisors and mentors in the tourism industry.

Tourism is one of New Zealand’s biggest industries, while international visitors rank our landscapes and nature as the number one reason for visiting.About 60% of New Zealand’s tourism revenue is actually driven by domestic visitors.

With growing EV rental options around the country and an increasing number of adventurous EV owners looking to take their vehicles further afield, connecting EVs and tourism more closely together will be a great step towards providing more clean, green and sustainable Kiwi holidays.

The combination of long, straight, flat roads, easily accessible EV rental options, a variety of EV charging opportunities and a strong, supportive EV and tourism community make Christchurch a perfect place to explore EV tourism projects.

“Tourism operators and electric vehicle owners are some of the most innovative and environmentally conscious people in Aotearoa, and we’re really excited about exploring the ways the two industries can work together,” Power Trip founder Richard Heaps says.

“ChargeNet has done an amazing job of connecting the country together with the fast charger network and I hope we can use the next few months to build some great experiences alongside it.”

So, what can we expect to see?

Power Trip released an app at the end of 2018 that lets EV drivers predict their driving range, taking hills and average speed into account along your journey.Their app tells you how much energy you need to get from A to B and shows you nearby charging stations.

Since launching, Power Trip has been listening to feedback from people using its app and, with help from ChargeNet NZ, the first step will be to release some big improvements that users have been asking for.

Power Trip is looking to use lessons from the accelerator to find ways to encourage more EV owners to step further out of their comfort zones, and to give people considering an EV as their next car more ways to explore the benefits of travelling across NZ electrically.

Support and guest visits have come from EV celebrities Will Knight, David Boot (EV City), Dee West (ChargeNet) and Walter Larason (EVs Enhanced).

Power Trip is working next to very ambitious and driven teams from across New Zealand, so there is no shortage of inspiration, great ideas and collaboration opportunities.

The Power Trip team has driven its 30kWh Nissan Leaf up and down the North Island several times, and is looking to hear stories from other people who have done electric road trips.

Email Richard Heaps via info@thepowertrip.co.nz if you are interested in learning a bit more about what Power Trip plans, if you think there’s a tool, connection or feature that would help you do more long-distance driving, or if you’d like to chat about EVs.

Lightning Lab teams include Road Guru – connecting local drivers and guides with visitors; Breadcrumbs – an experience sharing social media platform; Stay Native – sharing authentic indigenous experiences; Hidden Gems – an A to Z catalogue of special spots making Christchurch unique; AirGuides – a marketplace where travellers can book trips, curated by vetted writers, bloggers and local experts; CHU NZ – exploring the use of sustainable facilities for road trippers; and Tourism Ticker – media, data and analysis service providing insights to the tourism industry.

The Lightning Lab Tourism accelerator runs until August 23 and is supported by Callaghan Innovation, Christchurch International Airport, Centrality, Tourism Industry Aotearoa and ChristchurchNZ.It is being delivered by Creative HQ – a member of the Global Accelerator Network.