Electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining in popularity in the Hunter, with ownership up 16% in the past six months.
So, for those curious “to look before you buy”, Lake Macquarie City Council (LMCC) is hosting an EV Open Day this weekend.
In a region-first, the event will hopefully drive more motorists towards personal transport electrification.
LMCC sustainability engagement coordinator Chris Harle said Saturday’s Open Day on 13 May – the Hunter’s first hosted by local government – aimed to showcase the latest EVs and EV technology, and the benefits of EV ownership.
Latest Transport for NSW vehicle data shows hybrid and electric cars now make up more than 2% of all passenger vehicles registered across the five Lower Hunter LGAs.
Ownership of hybrid and electric passenger vehicles in the Lower Hunter jumped 16% in the six months to 30 April, with 7,030 hybrid and 1,270 electric cars now on local roads.
But, that proportion – 2.2% of the Lower Hunter’s 367,952 registered passenger vehicles – still lags behind the 3.3% state-wide.
The Open Day, at council’s Speers Point administration building car park from 10am-2pm, will include displays and demonstrations of new EV models from Porsche, BMW, Tesla, Polestar, Peugeot, Volvo, MG, BYD, LDV and Nissan.
Electric motorbikes, go-karts and e-mobility devices will also be on show.
“The rapid increase in EV and hybrid ownership shows the growing appetite for these vehicles in our region,” Ms Harle said.
“However, for some motorists, swapping their traditional petrol and diesel-powered vehicles remains a daunting prospect, so hopefully the open day will help allay some of those concerns.”
Ms Harle said switching to an EV was one of the single most effective ways people could reduce their carbon footprint.
“Transport emissions are the fastest growing emission sector in Australia, and they’re our largest contributor for our organisation, to greenhouse gas emissions,” she said.
“We’re committed to improving our environment, reducing vehicle emissions and encouraging EV use and ownership across Lake Macquarie, and we’re doing what we can on the ground – not only with this open day, but with our Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy, and our move towards electrifying our own vehicle fleet.”
The Open Day will offer test rides in Council’s fleet of Nissan Leaf EVs, EV charging displays, talks by local EV owners, free rides, activities, pizza and gelato.
Representatives from the NRMA and Australian Electric Vehicle Association (AEVA) will also be on hand.
AEVA spokesman Michael Day said Australians were increasingly aware of the need for action on global climate change targets.
“The increasing number of electric vehicle sales demonstrates that there is an appetite for environmentally friendly vehicles,” he said.
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