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.