Motorist group NRMA is kicking off the first of a series of drive days on Saturday, in a bid to give drivers the opportunity to sit behind the wheel of an EV and talk to experts.
Interest in electric vehicles is growing, as drivers look to transport alternatives to avoid the rising costs of petrol in Australia. So much so that all the test drive slots for the first event are already booked out.
While EV sales have tripled over recent years, the new technology brings with it a new way of fuelling (charging) and owning cars.
Right now it is hard to get your hands on an EV – there is currently a minimum eight-month wait for a Tesla Model 3 or Model Y, and other carmakers can only secure a few hundred of models from overseas HQ.
But with a change in the air thanks to the recent election of Albanese federal government and a slew of state incentives aimed at encouraging EV uptake, there are now more EV models available than ever before.
But aspiring EV drivers, unsurprisingly, often have many questions.
From the difference between AC charging at home, work or the shopping centre, and DC fast-charging on the road, to how much range do you really need, or where to install an at-home wall charger (and do you really need one?): there is indeed a steep learning curve when thinking about buying an EV.
NRMA’s free-to-attend events will offer displays and information stalls about electric vehicles, home charging, EV safety aspects and more. There will also be children’s activities and the opportunity to hear about EV road trips and charging.
Starting on July 23 and 24, drivers will be able to visit the Honda roadcraft training centre in Ku-ring-gai between the hours of 9am and 4pm.
NRMA intends to announce firm dates and locations for at least three more regional and outer metro areas soon. It has flagged an event at Wagga Wagga in around 10 weeks time, as well as events at Newcastle, Western Sydney and possibly Broken Hill, Armidale and Wollongong (not yet confirmed).
You can find more about more upcoming events and test drives at NRMA’s EV drive days page here. You can also read more articles about electric cars in our EV Explainers section here.
This article has been updated with more information about future event locations.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model 3 and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.
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