World EV journey ends in Bluff

Global EV traveller Dutchman Wiebe Wakker will finish his 1222 day journey in Bluff on July 19.

He will have driven his converted Volkswagen Golf station wagon ‘Blue Bandit’ 101,000km from Amsterdam to New Zealand, crossing 34 countries.

It will complete the world’s longest electric car journey as part of his Plug Me In project before he returns home to a year of speaking engagements and writing a book.

Wakker’s original plan was to finish in Sydney, Australia, which he reached on April 7.

But he was invited to New Zealand by a few Kiwis who helped him ship the car across the Tasman.

“I am excited to finish in Bluff because after reaching Europe’s most northern point the North Cape, Bluff is New Zealand’s most southern point. Now I have crossed the the globe from north to south in an electric car,” Wakker says.

He began the final leg of his journey in Auckland on June 5, and has driven across the North and South Islands. During his trip he engaged with sustainable initiatives and people involved in sustainable mobility.

“Electric cars are a way to tackle climate change,” he says. “I wanted to change people’s opinions and inspire people to start driving electric by showing the advantages of sustainable mobility. If one man can drive to the other side of the world in an electric car, then they should definitely be viable for daily use.”

Wakker has been pioneering electric mobility. He was the first person to cross Turkey, Iran, India, Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia in an EV. When he reached Sydney he became the first to travel to the other side of the world in an electric car.

Wakker left Amsterdam on March 15, 2016, without any money. He asked people to support him by offering a meal, a place to sleep, or electricity to charge his car. Thousands signed up on his website and these offers determined the route.

“It has been an amazing adventure. People are congratulating me for showing the possibilities of electric vehicles but what I am most proud of is that I have created a platform to show the generosity of people around the world,” Wakker says.

“Many people have helped me along the way and that is what I will always remember.”