Latest electric vehicle technology on show June 8

Christobel Munson

Are you interested in checking out the latest electric vehicles now available in Australia?

Want to hear about electric utes, mopeds, and motorbikes? Did you know you can now rent a classic car, such as a Landrover or VW, converted to EV?

How much do these all cost, what’s the range, and what do they look like?

Zero Emissions Byron (ZEB) has announced that on Saturday June 8 at Byron’s Cavanbah Centre, it is holding a day-long, family-friendly exhibition and forum to give NSW Northern Rivers residents and friends the opportunity to see and learn all about the latest EV technology.

Entry is by gold coin donation.

Opening the event will be Byron Shire resident Giles Parkinson. A journalist for 35 years and former business and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review, he founded and edits RenewEconomy, Australia’s most-read website focused on clean-energy news and analysis and climate policy, as well as an insider’s guide to electric vehicles called TheDriven.

Manufacturers will display their latest electric vehicles (EVs) – cars, mopeds, scooters, and bikes – from 10am until 4pm. Visitors will also have the opportunity to inspect new EVs and also speak directly with local EV owners on their personal experiences, though no test drives are possible.

Meanwhile, inside the centre from 10.45am, short, punchy info sessions will give leading EV players in this new industry the chance to share their knowledge on Australian Innovation; EV conversions; buses and car hire; scooters, bikes and trikes; electric vehicle strategies; charging Infrastructure and tariffs, local policies and the future of transport.

EV Forum organising team member Bridie Schmidt says, ‘Come along and find out how easily electric vehicles (EVs) can fit into your life at the same time as radically reducing carbon emissions’.

‘We’re expecting a great deal of interest in this first EV Forum of its kind to be held in the NSW Northern Rivers, particularly from those keen to see and understand more about EVs such as driving range and charging, and other forms of zero-emissions transport,’ she added.

Kids’ comp

For school-aged children, ZEB is holding a competition with great prizes.

For 11–18-year-olds: What would your ideal electric vehicle (EV) transport solution look like? Describe it in under 400 words. Illustrate if you want, but you must submit your entries by 5pm on Friday 7 June, by emailing [email protected]

For 5–10-year-olds: Draw a picture of an electric vehicle you’d like to ride in.

Entries will be displayed at the EV Forum.

Kids: bring your entry along before midday. Judging happens at 2pm, when prizes will be presented.

For more info on the Northern Rivers EV Forum, email [email protected], or check our website www.zerobyron.org or Facebook page @zerobyron.

♦ Christobel Munson is from Zero Emissions Byron (ZEB)