INTERNATIONAL DRIVE ELECTRIC WEEK

SATURDAY 26th September – SATURDAY 3rd October 2020

UPDATE 

We have 6 confirmed cars (with 10 bodies currently) for the South Island loop, one of which will have crossed the Cook Strait after starting from Auckland. Leading the charge will be 3 Tesla Model 3’s with a Model X, a Kona and a 30kW Leaf!

So far 2 visits have been confirmed; these are

Electric Air: Confirmed - 27 September, 11am, Rangiora Airfield

Benmore Dam: Confirmed - 2 October, time tba, Benmore Dam

For the Benmore Dam visit we are offering short-range car drivers a ride in one of the Tesla long range cars from Omarama.  Martin will confirm timings when they are set and send out by email to the participants.

There are 2 events still awaiting final confirmation: these are the Shotover Electric Jetboat talk and the Skyline Gondola Meal.

The Tour was designed primarily as a holiday, and hanging out in motels chatting about the day’s travels is also to be encouraged!  As a seasoned EV RoadTripper I can confirm that sometimes that is all you want to do when a new location is reached – whether with a cuppa or a glass of an alcoholic beverage!

Some travellers may take the opportunity to drop in on family or friends on the way!  A subtle way to show EVs can travel distance in comfort, style and very economically!

The SI loop is about 1,740 km in length but we will obviously all do more kilometres than that as we explore the overnight stops, and possibly do side trips during the travelling days. But remember that number and also the fact that an ICE car running at say 7.5 litres of fuel/100km would use over $250 worth of dino-juice on the trip. We can compare ChargeNet bills at the end of the trip to see what each car used at fast chargers.  Many motels are happy to let EVs slow charge overnight and we always take that opportunity when presented.

Originally we had thought we would get a Tour T-shirt/hoodie designed for all participants, but we have shelved that idea - however the Trust still has some EECA branded caps that we can hand out to those who like wearing them!  That saved cost will go towards the Trust funded dinners – we hope you are happy with that move!

2019 Great EV Road Trip - wine and cheese meet and greet at Hawkdun Rise Vineyard

2019 Great EV Road Trip - private tour of Manapouri Power Station

More details to follow and keep an eye out on our EV 2020 Road Tour page: https://www.leadingthecharge.org.nz/ltc_2020_road_tour 

DETAILS:

The Official Brochure for 2020 - updated

Registration Form

DATES:

Saturday 26th September – Saturday 3rd October 2020 
coinciding with International Drive Electric Week

A fun, self-funded EV tour for EV Owners to meet and visit places of interest together.

Each island tour will run concurrently, but there is an opportunity to leave one group at Picton/Wgtn and carry on with the other group.

Results to end of May 2020 of the initial Register of Interest

More details here: North Island EV Tour,  South Island EV Tour

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.

Good infrastructure is seen as essential to the promotion of EV sales and use in NZ. 

image PAUL SHERLEY/BMW NZ

[David Linklater - Stuff - 30 Jan 2019]

The latest round of the Government's Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund has once again thrown the spotlight on New Zealand's charging infrastructure.

The fund, which provides up to $7 million per year to contribute up to half of project costs to promote the uptake of Electric Vehicles (EVs), named Ngai Tahu Tourism as one of its recipients.

Partnering with ChargeNet, Ngai Tahu will install DC fast chargers at key tourist spots including Franz Josef Glacier, Queenstown and Glenorchy.

Sylvia Wilson drove around Australia in an electric car. It cost her $150.90.

Wilson, 70, a retired farmer from near Biloela in central Queensland, had planned the trip of a lifetime with her husband, Rod. One impulsive evening in mid-2016 they went online and, sight-unseen, bought a Tesla S75 electric car for the journey.

A few months after Rod died last year, Sylvia announced to her family: “I think I’ll do that trip.

“Most of them were really keen. A couple of them said ‘you’re mad, you’ll never do it’,” Wilson told Guardian Australia.

[The Guardian - 11 Sept 2018]

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]

Council was keen to support the 'Leading the Charge Road Trip' of Electric Vehicles (EVs) from Bluff to Cape Reinga when it arrived in Whangarei on Tuesday 3 April.

[Fuseworks Media - Voxy - 11 April 2018]

Northland is taking charge of its progression to more environmentally friendly transport options, with a national tour of electric vehicles (EVs) marking the launch of some extra charging stations.

The Better NZ Trust brought its Leading the Charge EV tour through Northland this week, stopping off in locations across the region while on its way to Cape Reinga from Bluff.

The third annual EV promotional convoy of seven cars saw a Tesla Model X, three Tesla Model S’s, a Hyundai Ioniq, Renault Zoe, Nissan Leaf and BMW i3 all being displayed in towns across NZ.

Starting in Bluff on March 14, it stopped off at Whangarei on Tuesday and touched down in Kerikeri that evening, where a charge station was launched, before landing at the Cape on Wednesday.

Read Full Article

[Christine Allen - Northlanders - 5 April 2018]

The Leading the Charge roadtrip made its way into Hamilton on March 28, so I snuck down from Auckland to see how they were going.

[Rachel Hadfield - EV Talk - 29 Mar 2018]