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.

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Motorsport Flashback: The Temple of Speed

On the banks of the Lambro River is Europe’s largest enclosed park, all 688 hectares of it. Parco di Monza was commissioned by the son of an Austrian empress as a summer retreat in the late 1700s, but it would be for another century and a half before ground was broken on what would become Italy’s famous theatre of speed at the park’s northern end. One hundred years ago on 3 September, less than four months after work started, Autodromo Nazionale di Monza was officially opened and the first race – appropriately, the Italian Grand Prix – was run a week later. Monza was the world’s third purpose-built circuit, after Brooklands and Indianapolis, and was the result of the Milan Automobile Club financing the 3500 workers who created the super-quick, and consequently dangerous, track that made the word ‘Monza’ synonymous for speed.