It was hard to miss the glossy BMW iX3 and iX4 at the recent Noosa EV Expo in Australia. There were also Hyundai Konas, a Mazda MX 30, and a couple of Ioniq 5s. These were exhibited by the dealerships. In addition, there were a lot of privately owned EVs, including lots of Teslas of course. But, the OEMs were front and centre at the Noosa EV Expo.
What really struck me at the very successful expo was that there will come a day when Majella and I won’t have to drive 250 km in our own time at our own cost because manufacturers and dealers will exhibit enough good quality electric vehicles of their own. Advertising and news commentary will dispel the FUD, so we won’t be answering the same questions over and over about replacing the battery every few years, running out of charge in the middle of the highway, and how many times this week our Tesla has spontaneously burst into flames!
I’ll miss the expos. Most enquirers are innocent victims of disinformation campaigns and it is a pleasure to introduce them to the joys of inexpensive, quiet luxury motoring, all the while making sure their children don’t accidentally walk off with my collection of Hot Wheels Tesla cars.
When I did get a chance to walk around, I was impressed by the breadth of the EV ecosystem that was represented — vehicles ranging from a class 8 prime mover converted from diesel to battery electric, to racing cars designed by uni students, to electric scooters, bikes, and passenger cars. There were charging installers and suppliers galore, ride-sharing services, tow bar fitters, and, of course, the automakers.
Big boys toys — battery electric semi. Photo courtesy of Majella Waterworth.
Judging by the number of people who came through, the day was quite a success. Australia has tripled the number of EVs on the road in the past 2 years, and part of that is because of an increase in the range of vehicles that are available and the number of dedicated EV owners who are willing to exhibit them.
Uni days weren’t like this for me. Photo courtesy of Majella Waterworth.
Will this come to an end when EVs are normal and available from every corner dealer? Quite probably. In the meantime, we will continue to attend these gatherings and spruik the environmental credentials of EVs, dispelling the fog of disinformation which still permeates society.
Looks like there will be plenty of opportunity at Gympie Envirotech on August 6th and at the Australian Electric Vehicle Association’s EV Experience on September 11th. And for those who like professional trade shows, there’s Electric Dreams, July 2nd and 3rd.
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