Global outlook
Drive Electric has been looking at different countries from around the world to understand the drivers for EV uptake. We have been assisted by the services of Carsten Weissman, an intern from Germany who is with Drive Electric for 9 weeks. Looking at the data the first thing that stands out is the variation in […]
Top secret Kiwi electric car goes into production
By Hamish McNeilly A revolutionary electric car capable of parking sideways has gone into production. However, its inventor is keeping quiet over the move, with an announcement expected in March 2016. Associate Professor Tom Qi, of Otago Polytechnic, is the brains behind the yet-to-be-named prototype which he first revealed in 2013. That vehicle featured […]
Road trip refueling a BMW i3 REx EV
By Tom Moloughney. I know many readers here have spent countless sleepless nights pondering the the age-old question: How long does it take to refuel a BMW i3’s tiny gas tank? Well maybe not, but I have had people argue that driving the i3 REx on an extended trip would be very inconvenient because they […]
Tax is not the only barrier to businesses buying electric cars – AA
By Stacey Kirk. The Green Party is proposing tax breaks for businesses which purchase electric fleet vehicles and support employees to use public transport, but the AA says there are other barriers. Transport spokeswoman Julie Anne Genter, alongside Green Party co-leader James Shaw, launched a bill which would exempt electric company vehicles from fringe benefit […]
Hydrogen or electric, road ahead is looking green for car makers
There is a race taking place between some of the big names of car making – Japan’s Toyota and Honda and their Asian neighbour Hyundai – and a smaller camp led by the tech visionary Elon Musk. The car giants are all betting big on the potential of hydrogen power to propel the cars of […]
Aston Martin reveals electric Rapide
By Stephen Ottley. Aston Martin has revealed its much-rumoured rival to the Tesla Model S – a electric version of its Rapide sports sedan. Dubbed RapidE the car has been developed in conjunction with Williams Advanced Engineering, with the 6.0-litre V12 petrol engine replaced by batteries and an electric motor that powers the rear wheels […]
Vector: Rapid charger, rapid change for electric cars
Electric vehicle owner John Leenman can’t wait for the first of Vector’s fast charging stations to come to Hobson St in Auckland city on November 13 – he says it is the future come to town. “It will be my first stop when I come to Auckland,” says the 60-year-old Thames owner of a Nissan […]
The Big Read: Where Teslas are taxis
There are now nearly 70,000 electric vehicles in Norway. In New Zealand there are only 800. Is it time to follow Norway’s lead? Grant Bradley investigates. By Grant Bradley Cars Clean technology Innovation Motor Vehicles… Road Transport Technology Transport There are now nearly 70,000 electric vehicles in Norway. In New Zealand there are only 800. […]
Electric vehicles must make own way in NZ, says Government
By David Linklater. Minister of Transport and Minister of Energy and Resources Simon Bridges has reiterated that he’s a “great fan” of electric vehicles (EVs) in a speech at the Transport Fuels and Fleet Management Summit. He also acknowledged that New Zealand is the ideal environment for plug-in transport. But the underlying message was that Government […]