Shocking news: electric vehicle event coming to Christchurch

27 October, 2015

 

A  new electric vehicle event is set to quietly take over the Mike Pero Motorsport Park in Ruapuna in late November. EVolocity is being marketed as a fast-paced, innovative, and exciting motorsport event with an environmental twist — demonstrating electric vehicle performance and efficiency.

The event is the brainchild of the Association for the Promotion of Electric Vehicles (APEV), which aims to promote the use of electric vehicles and also encourage innovation in the future of transport.

“EVolocity is the first-ever day of electric motorsport in New Zealand, and we think that is pretty special. The sector is growing worldwide with technology and innovation taking electric vehicles to thrilling new places — I am sure those who visit EVolocity will see electric vehicles in a whole new light and some may even come away with a new passion,” says Rob McEwen, executive director of APEV.

Event highlights are set to include a race between the world’s fastest electric drag motor bike and the fastest fuel-powered drag motor bike in the South Island; a race featuring 16 Canterbury high school teams, who have developed their own custom design and built electric vehicles; a showcase of three world record–holding electric vehicles from the US, plus New Zealand’s first Tesla S; and a race between a Ferrari and a Tesla Roadster.

Besides the events themselves, there will be plenty to check out, including the chance to meet Eva Håkansson who holds the title of fastest electric motorcycle in the world (434kph), fastest sidecar motorcycle in the world, and fastest woman on a motorcycle in the world. Kevin Clemens who set 11 world, US National, and US East Coast land-speed records with electric motorcycles built in his Minnesota workshop will also be present.

If you’re keen on heading along, tickets are available through evolocity.co.nz.

A second dose of Dash

When the car arrived in Wellington in December 2018 it was duly taken along for entry certification. Vehicle Inspection NZ (VINZ) found some wrongly wired lamps and switches — not too bad — but, much more significantly, some poor welding repairs. As the structural problems were probed more thoroughly, we realized the previous owner’s restoration would not do and we needed an upgrade. Dash had made it into the country but it would take some time and money before he would be free to explore any of New Zealand’s scenic highways.
We took the car to our new home in Johnsonville in the northern suburbs of Wellington and I pored over the car in detail to figure out what was next. There were lots of new parts on the car and a very perky reconditioned drivetrain but the chassis needed serious work.

Lunch with… Jim Palmer

In the 1960s, Hamilton’s Jim Palmer won the prestigious ‘Gold Star’ four times and was the first resident New Zealander home in the New Zealand Grand Prix on five consecutive occasions. He shared the podium with Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Denny Hulme, Jackie Stewart, and Chris Amon. The extent of his domination of the open-wheeler scene in New Zealand will probably never be matched or exceeded. Yet he’s always been modest about his achievements.