Members will know our interest in the dramatic increase in new and old brands offering an increasingly varied array of EV options for Kiwis.
What is mind boggling is the commitment by major brands to lead a paradigm shift from oil burners to electric power. History will judge the speed with which the industry has pivoted, and note the speed of technological advancement.
It is a speed that has been fired along by aggressive new brands building EV options from the ground up not hampered by the demands of continuing old technology to satisfy their shareholders.
With range anxiety reducing as battery technology advances, what has caught the eye has been the Swedish experiments with in-road and over-road charging:
Sweden plans to build world’s first electrified motorway - Driven
Here in Hamilton, we are doing well in the EV fixed public charging space:
Hamilton leads Oceania in EV infrastructure | Stuff.co.nz
Surely New Zealand should be experimenting with the electrified expressway concept given our abundance of renewable energy options. You can also imagine placing solar panels along side an expressway to add to the mainstream renewable power currently available. If there is a system for charging a fee for the electricity consumed as you travel, you could easily add in a toll or congestion charge.
New Zealand’s love affair with utes continues unabated. The news that several manufacturers are lining up the release of EV utes will be music to the ears of many. The highly successful Ford F150 has now got its Lightning EV version and if Ford move to electrify their wildly successful Ranger, it will be sought after by tradies, executives, families and farmers alike:
Ford more than doubles electric vehicle sales as it chases Tesla | Stuff.co.nz
Ford confirms it is planning to make an electric 7-seater SUV | Stuff.co.nz
The list of worldwide best sellers also adds an interesting insight into the future. Whilst perennial winners were Toyota ICE vehicles, the rise of the EV was staggering, especially the results from BYD. Who, some may ask?? Build Your Dreams (BYD), the new Chinese vehicle challenger created out of the world's largest battery maker has toppled Tesla for new vehicle registrations in 2022:
Revealed: Who makes the world's most popular car? | Stuff.co.nz
Are we watching a paradigm shift in transport and the resulting freedom to travel when you want and also care for the planet?
