Simon Hackett made his fortune in the broadband boom (when he sold Internode to iiNet) and is now the largest shareholder in Australian-based battery storage maker Redflow.
He’s also Australia’s biggest fan of Tesla electric vehicles, taking the first delivery of the original Roadster (he wasn’t allowed to drive it on Australian roads) after a chance meeting with an ambitious young man called Elon Musk.
Hackett then took deliver of a Roadster that was allowed on Australia’s roads, and then the first delivery of the Model S. Hackett shares his passion and joy for EVs, how he manages his charging needs, and what he thinks is required to take the industry forward.
It’s a compelling interview. You can listen to it here, along with our previous TheDriven podcasts with Tony Seba and Alan Finkel, or on your favourite podcast platform.
Giles Parkinson is founder and editor of The Driven, and also edits and founded the Renew Economy and One Step Off The Grid web sites. He has been a journalist for nearly 40 years, is a former business and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review, and owns a Tesla Model 3.
The roll out of electric buses to two additional routes - including the busiest in…
Analysis of EV registrations show massive growth in March as surging fuel prices and fears…
We got behind the wheel of GAC’s new electric hatchback to see what $31,990 gets…
Renault is offering a drive-away price of $49,990 for its battery electric Megane E-Tech hatchback…
After almost 3 years since the trials on the Toyota BEV ute started, the company…
Australia's green bank is committing $100 million to help VW Group offer discounted loans for…