Children Could Be The Best EV Salespeople!

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I have been driving electric for the past three years now. Our car is a Nissan Leaf, imported from Japan. My daughters have been the biggest cheerleaders and promoters. Everywhere we go, whether it’s to visit friends and family or just up and about, my 4-year-old daughter is quick to let people know that we drive electric. “Our car is electric, and we charge it,” she says proudly most of the times.

Earlier in the year when she started going to her new school, she told the teacher that our car is electric. How did I find out? One day the teacher stopped me and asked me, do you drive an electric car? I said yes, that’s when she told me my daughter had told her that “Our car is electric, and we charge it.” There are not many EVs around yet in Zimbabwe, so I guess the teacher really wanted to confirm. My daughter is always quick to tell people that “it doesn’t need petrol, so we don’t go to the petrol station.”

For my daughters, having an electric car feels normal and natural to them, especially the 4-year-old one, as when we had a petrol car she was still only a one year old and vaguely remembers it. So, they happily spread the news of electric cars. When they draw some pictures and draw a car as part of the image, they will show it’s electric. The other day, I mentioned to them that I need to get a bicycle, again my 4-year-old daughter immediately said, “you must get an electric bicycle.” She also says quite often, “you write many stories about electric cars, why don’t you write about a Princess but this time her carriage will be electric.”

11 months ago, I got to spend a few days with the BYD T3 electric passenger van. Up to now they still tell people about the electric van. They keep telling me that we must get the electric bus again but this time we keep it. By the time they get to 16 years old and will be able to drive, their first cars will probably be electric as electric cars will be more common in this part of the world. They will probably never get to drive an ICE car.

Our family’s love for electric cars is so well known now that one of my wife’s best friends got my daughters LEGO blocks that make an electric car connected to a wind turbine and solar panels to charge it. How cool is that?  They were very exited to get building.

So, my children tell all their friends and anyone they run into that our car is electric and we charge it. Their friends will tell their friends, and their parents, and the chain reaction goes on. I have been asked by several people from this chain where I got my car and how much it was, what is the range, and how long does it take to charge it? Which shows people are listening and taking note. All we need now is more affordable EVs and a wider selection of EVs in this part of the world and we could just convert a few into EV adopters.

Images by Remeredzai


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Remeredzai Joseph Kuhudzai

Remeredzai Joseph Kuhudzai has been fascinated with batteries since he was in primary school. As part of his High School Physics class he had to choose an elective course. He picked the renewable energy course and he has been hooked ever since.

Remeredzai Joseph Kuhudzai has 758 posts and counting. See all posts by Remeredzai Joseph Kuhudzai