In order to show that the tradie ute hasn’t been left behind in Australia’s transition to electric transport, Solar Citizens are embarking on an ambitious series of tours in an LDV eT60 full-electric ute through regional Victoria, NSW and Queensland.
Dubbed the ‘Electric Ute Roadshow’, the first part of the latest leg started on March 25 and will continue through Canberra to finish in Wollongong on Sunday, April 2nd.
As part of that first leg, the roadshow team will be spending three days in Canberra, offering MPs and Senators the opportunity to see first-hand what is the first electric ute to become available in Australia.
By doing so, they hope to press home the message (just before the imminent federal Fuel Efficiency Standards policy will be brought into discussion) that EVs are the near (rather than far) future of motoring for regional as well as city Australia … provided the right federal policy framework is implemented.
To quote Solar Citizens: “The Electric Ute Roadshow will highlight how sensible transport policies being decided on in parliament right now, like Fuel Efficiency Standards, will give people the choice of more efficient, affordable and diverse vehicles that are suitable for the regions – including the much-loved Aussie tradition of utes. By touring an electric ute around Australia, our community campaign will let regional communities and MPs see first-hand the many cost-saving benefits that electric vehicles can bring to the regions.
Following that first leg, a second tour of regional Victoria will run from Tuesday April 12Â through to Friday April 21. Stops in that tour include the Malmsbury EV Expo on Saturday 15Â and the Ballarat stockyard sale day on Friday 21.
After those initial legs, three more regional tours will be run, these being:
- Week of 15th May: Hunter, Forster, Port Macquarie, Narrabri, Casino;
- Week of 29th May: Brisbane and surrounds;Â
- Week of 5th June: Regional Queensland.
It will be instructive to see how the ute (and it’s newbie EV driving team) cope in the real-world environment of regional EV driving. Thus far, EV driving ‘beyond the beaten DC track’ has been done mainly by the earliest of early adopters (often termed the ‘innovators’).
For innovators, dealing with the minutiae of the tech and any bugs that arise are part of the fun – but the majority of Australians are not innovators: they want their tech to work and to have a good reason to make the switch.Â
As a bunch of people new to EVs, this will make the EV ute roadshow crew a good group to quiz about their experiences on the road and how well the technology served them.
Any problems they have along the way will be instructive, as these will give clues as to what the majority of Australians need in order for Australia’s EV transition to happen more smoothly.
It will also point towards what legislation and support measures are needed to make the transition an equitable one for all Australians – be they rich or poor and irrespective of whether they live in a capital city, country town, on a farm, at a mine site … or ‘beyond the black stump’.
For more detailed updates and information about the Roadshow events and dates to see the ute/hear from the roadshow crew, see:
https://www.solarcitizens.org.au/roadshow_events
Bryce Gaton is an expert on electric vehicles and contributor for The Driven and Renew Economy. He has been working in the EV sector since 2008 and is currently working as EV electrical safety trainer/supervisor for the University of Melbourne. He also provides support for the EV Transition to business, government and the public through his EV Transition consultancy EVchoice.