A Best Buy for a BEV with a Big Asterisk

It’s been a long road for the Nissan Leaf. Introduced in 2011, the Leaf was the first mass-market all-electric vehicle and, despite other EV upstarts making gains, the best-selling electric car in history with more than 450,000 sold worldwide. (ed: including being the most registered EV in New Zealand.) It’s won about every award for green automobiles, including the World Green Car award twice.*

* All-new 2018 Nissan LEAF named "2018 World Green Car" by the World Car Awards.

[Full report from Gary Lieber - Clean Technica - 15 Jun 2019] 

SATURDAY 3rd August, 2019

FREE PUBLIC EXPO

For one day only, EV World will open its gates to the general public. Entrance will be free and no pre-registration is required. Children are welcome. 

The Better NZ Trust will have a manned stand just inside the main doors of the exhibition hall. Bring your questions about EV Ownership and our real owners will answer them without the sales banter but with plenty of enthusiasm for this wonderful transport option.

We will also be offering rides in an electric car next to the Rides and Drives area beside Gate 3. Experience the difference in an electric car or try out a model you haven't driven before.

EV World will also be holding free seminars in the main exhibition hall near the back. 

For more information about what you'll find at the 3rd annual EV World in Auckland go here https://www.conferenz.co.nz/events/evworld-nz-2019 

LEADING THE CHARGE VOLUNTEERS - WE NEED YOU BOTH AT OUR INDOOR BOOTH AND AT THE RIDES AREA: EITHER ON THE SIGN-UP DESK, OR OFFERING RIDES IN YOUR CAR. Register your interest in volunteering on our Facebook event page. We are looking for 2-hour slots or whatever you can manage.

FRIDAY 2nd May 2019, 9AM - 5PM

TRADE DAY
DAY 2 CONFERENCE

EV World will throw open its doors on the Friday to industry and trade. 

If you work in the automotive or related fields, media, or you make fleet decisions, come along today, when the halls will be quieter and you can get a chance to speak one-on-one with the stand holders.

Better NZ Trust will have a manned stand in the main exhibition hall near the main doors. Come and talk to us about us visiting your workplace, so your staff can experience driving an EV.

We will also be offering free rides and drives near Gate 3, so you can experience the difference driving or riding in an electric powered car yourself.

Entrance is free on the Friday, but pre-registration is expected. For more information and to register your attendance go here https://www.conferenz.co.nz/events/evworld-nz-2019 Entrance into the Trade Expo does not gain you entrance into the Industry Conference being held elsewhere in the facility.

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LEADING THE CHARGE VOLUNTEERS - WE NEED YOU TODAY
Please register your interest on our Facebook event listing.

THURSDAY 1ST - 2ND August 2019, 9AM - 5PM
INDUSTRY CONFERENCE

While the 2-day Industry Conference is being held upstairs, the Better NZ Trust will have a manned information stand in the big expo hall just inside the main doors.  

When you need a break, come and talk to us to find out what we do. Bring your EV Ownership related questions to us.

We will also be hosting free rides and drives so you can experience for yourself riding in an EV or perhaps driving a model you haven't tried before. Find our cars at Gate 3 on the Friday (not Thursday), and on the public day on Saturday.

You will require a ticket to access the Conference. For more information about the Conference, and to register your attendance, head to: https://www.conferenz.co.nz/events/evworld-nz-2019

Premieres at Cannes Film Festival at 18:45 on Thursday, May 23 at the Salle 60eme.

'And We Go Green' is a documentary showcasing how competition drives technological development and how the excitement of sport can have a meaningful social impact and alter perceptions of electric vehicles.

Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVDgoUlzIMU

Is BMW still relevant in 2019?

[editorial by Rachelle Tilsley]

The subject of what’s been happening to BMW’s sustainability focus over the past five years, since they released the fully electric i3, is often debated.

With the release of the i3, they had the lead on their competitors as an electromobility pioneer. Then they seemed to fritter that away with a lack of progression, while other manufacturers charged on ahead.

But is that really the case? Let’s take a closer look at BMW.

We're seeing the German "research" recently published in the Brussels Times popping up in media everywhere now. It claims that actually, "Electric Vehicles in Germany Emit More CO2 Than Diesel Ones."  This headline alone is enough to convince those, who would dearly love to see electric vehicles fade away like a bad dream after you turn the lights on. 

It's unfortunate that the article has been reprinted around the world.

A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.

The Better NZ Trust is republishing the following article so that our stance on the matter is clear. In 2015 the NZ government department, EECA, commissioned a life-cycle analysis of the environmental impact of electric vehicles compared to internal combustion engine vehicles using either petrol or diesel. The (peer-reviewed) report confirmed that EVs are better for the New Zealand environment than the fossil fuel powered vehicles, across the life-cycle of the vehicle as well as while in use. And the situation is only getting better as our energy is getting cleaner, and battery tech is improving. Read that report summary here.

Here's what the rest of the world has to say...

Mitch Wins for NZ and Panasonic Jaguar Racing

The ABB FIA Formula E Championship now heads to Paris for the second instalment of the voestalpine European races on April 27.

The automotive world is changing and some commercial entities are quickly recognising the opportunities that this will bring. One of these businesses is Repco New Zealand.

Repco New Zealand is proudly supporting the #LeadingTheCharge 2019 Great EV Road Trip.

"Now in its 5^th season, this is a fantastic annual event for Repco to be part of," says Richelle Ashman, Marketing Manager NZ. "Repco recognises Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming a popular choice for New Zealand drivers."

Repco has been providing New Zealanders with what they need to get their vehicle road ready for over 95 years. Repco leads the charge in the automotive parts aftermarket, which makes Repco a fitting partner to the #LeadingTheCharge 2019 Great EV Road Trip.

If you are coming along to a Leading The Charge event in Dunedin, Christchurch, Palmerston North, Auckland and Whangarei, be sure to pick up a Repco voucher to save on your next purchase at you nearest Repco store.

I used my voucher to buy seat covers for my BMW. Thanks Repco.

Taupo turned on glorious weather for the 2019 Road Trippers.

After the cancellation of the Rotorua Night Market due to inclement weather, the Great EV Road Trip 2019 began at stop 2 – Taupo – on the Colonel Roberts Reserve, right in the heart of the eating quarter of Taupo – and on the waterfront.