WEL Networks opens new rapid charger at Hampton Downs
WEL Networks has taken its tally of electric vehicle (EV) fast chargers in the Waikato to six, with the latest going live at Hampton Downs this week.
The new EV fast charger is the first of its kind at the popular motorsport complex and is located in the Gate 1 carpark.
“There has been a great level of interest from our manufacture-based clients who increasingly want to show off the latest technology in their products. It will not only allow them to demonstrate the EV technology in the normal context of road driving, but also show off the performance levels of the technology by making use of the tracks here at Hampton Downs," says Hampton Downs Track Manager, Elton Goonan.
WEL Networks has previously installed fast chargers at Maui Street, Caro Street and Waikato Innovation Park in Hamilton, as well as on Wayside Road in Te Kauwhata and Bow Street in Raglan.
[WEL Networks - 28 June 2018]
Free plug-in and charge stations for Electric Vehicles at Auckland City carparks
Auckland Transport and leading electric vehicle charging provider, ChargeNet NZ, have formed a strategic partnership to install the first 27 of a network of 60 conveniently located free standard electric vehicle charging stations around Auckland.
[Shawn Moody - ChargeNet NZ - 27 Jun 2018]
Will California Reach 10% EV Sales Market Share By December 2018?
While EVs are still being purchased primarily by “green” and early-adopting consumers, media coverage continues to grow and is generally shifting from a “If?” EVs will go mainstream to “When?”
California reached an impressive 7.83% EV market share of new vehicle registrations for the month of April 2018. Could California reach 10% by the end of 2018? In short, yes.
[Loren McDonald - EV Adoption - 23 June 2018]
Tesla Semi Glides Across Golden Gate Bridge
Tesla recently shared a short video clip of the silver Semi stealthily gliding over the Golden Gate Bridge while hauling a trailer on the way to Santa Rosa, CA.
[Simon Alvarez - Teslarati - 21 June 2018]
Busting EV Myths Part 1
It's hard to counter all the misinformation that exists about EVs in just a few sentences. Especially where the topic is quite involved. The Better NZ Trust has produced this series of informal, simplified infographics to give #LeadingTheCharge volunteers talking points. Please share.
In Part One we Bust the following Myths:
Myth: "EV's Can't Tow"
Myth: "They're Too Expensive"
Myth: "They're Just A Fad"
Lower Hutt to ‘buzz’ with electric vehicles
A convoy of electric vehicles (EVs) are buzzing into Lower Hutt this month as part of the #LeadingTheCharge country wide road trip.
The exhibition will arrive at Dowse square on Thursday 22 March after having travelled roughly half of their journey from Bluff to Cape Reinga.
Aimed at promoting electric vehicles the silent convoy of BMW i3, Hyundai IONIQ, Nissan Leaf and Tesla will allow Hutt City residents and CBD businesses to see a range of EVs, chat to drivers and even take the wheel for that important ‘test drive’.
[Press Release - Hutt City Council - 18 June 2018]
Read morePetrol Cars Headed The Way of the Horse and Cart
The New Zealand Transport Agency has begun thinking about how it may need to prepare for the arrival of autonomous vehicles such as this Volkswagen driverless concept car.
[Tom Pullar-Strecker - Business Day - June 18, 2018]
Renault Invests over $1 Billion Euros to Accelerate EV Production
Earlier this year, Renault upgraded the Zoe with a more powerful electric motor and the vehicle has continued to sell well in France and a few other European markets.
Renault says that it posted “38% growth in electric vehicle sales in Europe, with a 44% increase in ZOE registrations and a 23.8% market share in 2017.”
Other EVs should soon join the Zoe in the lineup. The Renault, Nissan & Mitsubishi alliance announced that it will launch 12 new all-electric vehicles within the next 5 years.
They are now working on the supply chain and production facilities to produce those vehicles.
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Introduce a new Alliance electric platform in Douai to create a second Renault electric vehicle production site;
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Double ZOE production capacity and the launch of a new ZOE at Flins, the only ZOE production site in the world;
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Triple electric motor production capacities at Cleon and introduce a new generation electric motor from 2021.
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Invest in Maubeuge for the production of the next generation of the Kangoo family, including the electric utility vehicle Kangoo Z.E.
[Fred Lambert - Electrek - 14 June 2018]
World's Largest EV Rally Kicks Off
Whether sharing their knowledge with community, or just a sense of unflagging camaraderie, 160 such teams ranging from solo shade-tree mechanics to major corporations to visiting tourists in rented Nissan Leaf and BMW i3s took to the roads in Switzerland to participate in the largest electric-vehicle rally in the world.
[Eric C. Evarts - Green Car Reports - 12 June 2018]
Dismissive Car Dealers Create Barrier to EV Adoption at POS
"Perhaps unsurprisingly, salespeople tended to promote the vehicle that is easier to sell, which outside of Norway, was undoubtedly not an EV."
A recent study published in the journal Nature by a team from Aarhus University in Denmark has found that car dealerships pose a significant barrier to electric vehicle adoption at the point of sale due to a perceived lack of business case viability in relation to gasoline and diesel vehicles.
Read more