To coincide with Earth Day last week, Audi released an original short film called Electric Eye, which followed acclaimed Australian photographer Woody Gooch “on an epic adventure” along the east coast of Australia in the all-electric Audi e-tron Sportback, highlighting the potential for all-electric Aussie road trips.
The 3,500-kilometre, 10-day road trip in the Audi e-tron Sportback started from Rainbow Beach in sub-tropical Queensland and took the journeyman and photographer across the New South Wales border through Byron Bay, down to the Snowy Mountains region, and back up to Sydney via the NSW South Coast.
Designed specifically to visit common tourist hotspots and 15 different fast-charging sites along the way – of which more than half were Chargefox ‘Ultra-Rapid’ charging sites – Audi are hoping to prove with this short film that “Australia is now ready for an electric vehicle to make such a journey in 2021.”
“A short film like this serves two purposes for our brand,” said Nikki Warburton, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at Audi Australia.
“It perfectly aligns with the interests of our audience by focusing on relevant topics such as creativity, sustainability, and travel; whilst simultaneously working to showcase the charging infrastructure currently available around the country.”
Along the EV-focused road trip, Woody took time to explore the coast with free surfer Josie Prendergrast, ate hand-caught mud-crabs with legendary chefs David Moyle and Mark Labrooy, went freediving with Madison “Shak Girl” Stewart and marine biologist Lucas Handley, and also got into the saddle with sustainable farmer Nick Kirschner.
“Returning to Australia and exploring this place has opened up my imagination,” said Woody of the journey. “There are so many things I had forgotten about this place – it’s sights, sounds, smells. This trip has literally reactivated my senses.”
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.