How to Knit an Electric Car
Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!
In a true sign that battery electric cars have now gone mainstream in Australia, The Australian Women’s Weekly has just featured an article about the MG ZS EV. The copy was supplied by MG and was (as you would expect) overwhelmingly positive.
MG (owned by SAIC) has a well established and trusted dealership network throughout Australia, and high visibility through its petrol driven products. As a former British brand in a former British colony, it is doing very well.
“The Australian Women’s Weekly, sometimes known as simply The Weekly, is an Australian monthly women’s magazine published by Mercury Capital in Sydney. It is the number one selling magazine in Australia.” The Weekly has been telling stories of iconic Australian women for more than 80 years after its start in 1933 with its first and only male editor.
“The Australian Women’s Weekly magazine has always been the number one place to find the latest news from the Royal Family to Australia’s successful women, home electric appliances, recipes, knitting patterns and now it offers advice on electric vehicles. The weekly was always in the family home, my mother trusted its advice and this has carried on,” says the Ordinary Brisbane Girl I am lucky to be married to. (She is happy with her Tesla and is not planning to knit an electric car.)
With almost 2 million readers per issue, both men and women, the magazine has demonstrated power to influence and shape culture across the nation. Hence my excitement to see an article on EVs in the AWW this month. Not only will this reach many women, but many men will also read it — you have to occupy yourself somehow in doctors’ waiting rooms.
MG has been the second highest selling EV brand in Australia until the recent advent of the BYD Atto 3. It looks like the battle is on.
During 2022, EV sales in Australia have gone from a penetration rate of 2% to around an average of 4%, and within the last few months of the year, they have achieved around 10%. 2023 promises to be an even bigger year, with shiploads of cars arriving from Europe and China. The Australian public is looking forward to imports from the USA, particularly imports of the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Mustang Mach-E. No word yet on when GM will resume imports of the Bolt.
Some of my readers have complained about the Australian reliance on Chinese made cars. These Chinese cars are made from Australian iron, turned into steel by Australian coal. The average Chinese worker drinks beer made from Australian barley while the executives eat Australian cheese washed down with Australian wine. China is Australia’s largest trading partner.
Caged Teslas waiting to be released into the wilds of Australia.
Early in January, I hope to bring more news of the increasing numbers of EVs that have been sold in Australia during 2022 with clearer projections of the market in 2023. And for my non-Australian readers, the AWW does not contain a pattern to knit an electric car. The idea just appeals to my sense of humour.
Chip in a few dollars a month to help support independent cleantech coverage that helps to accelerate the cleantech revolution!
Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.
Sign up for our daily newsletter for 15 new cleantech stories a day. Or sign up for our weekly one if daily is too frequent.
CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy here.
CleanTechnica's Comment Policy
