Latest innovations in electric transport showcased in new Christchurch expo

November 24, 2018

The EVworld South Expo displayed the newest technological innovations in e-cars, scooters and bikes.

With a global mission of moving away from petrol vehicles, electric transportation has been showcased in a Christchurch expo today.

The EVsouth Expo displayed the latest innovations in e-cars, scooters and bikes, ranging from high-end design to student creations.

One school student said their design was "all electric motors, probably 80 per cent of the materials we've built it with is recycled".

Just under 11,000 people drive hybrid or electric cars nationwide, but sales of the vehicles have doubled every year since 2013.

Christchurch EV group's Mark Nixon said, "Hopefully, if we keep on doubling by 2021, we'll have 64,000 cars and we'll have two per cent of the fleet."

A lack of range and speed have been issues in the past, but experts say technology is advancing.

Hyundai's Kimberley Waters said, "In August, we launched the Kona Electric, which is considered a bit of a game-changer in the electric vehicle space because it does over 400kms comfortably".

However, there's still a long way to go in reducing costs and increasing supply.

"The bottleneck at the moment is battery production. We need more battery factories being produced," Mr Nixon said.

However, today's event is not just about cars - bikes and scooters are also joining the charge.

"Even a granny can ride them and I'm super gran," one person said.

Hire scooters have already seen Kiwis take 400,000 trips since it was launched in Auckland and Christchurch last month.

Lime Scooters' George Morrison said, "Just judging by the demand for these scooters, it seems to be a product and a concept that really resonates with people".

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