Tiki Taane touring in a Hyundai Ioniq

Kiwi musician Tiki Taane has teamed up with Hyundai Motors New Zealand to drive an all-electric Ioniq this summer, which includes his reunion tour with Salmonella Dub celebrating the band’s 25th anniversary.

The shows are on December 31 at the Northern Bass festival in Mangawhai, January 13 at Hagley Park in Christchurch and on February 3 at Owen Delany Park in Taupo.

Taane’s dedication to living more sustainably has been recognised by Hyundai NZ, with which he has partnered in a new venture, the NZ Herald

reports.

“I approached Hyundai as they’re a Kiwi-owned business who are doing amazing things in the community,” Taane says.

“They’ve also been progressively moving forward with their electric and hybrid vehicles, which I’m really into.

“So together we’ve come up with an exciting plan that will see me touring this summer in the new Hyundai Ioniq This car is a fully electric-powered vehicle with zero carbon emissions and that’s really exciting.

“My kids are so excited, too, and can’t wait to ride around in it. This is the future and this will be their reality one day soon, so to be able to share this experience with them now will be unforgettable.”

The Ioniq was in the final three at the recent New Zealand Car of the Year awards and won a the new EV/plug-in hybrid car of the year category.

The EV can be charged from Taane’s Papamoa home in the Bay of Plenty, which has used solar-power for nearly four years, even running his music studio.

Powering his house, music and car from the sun is “a beautiful concept”, he says.

Taane, whose award-winning 2011 album In the World of Light reached No 1 on the New Zealand charts, is working in his studio on an album he plans to release for free next year.

“The title, Get Rich or Try Sharing, gives you a clue as to where I’m going with things. It’s tackling a lot of stuff I’m into politically, socially, economically, environmentally.”