There are more aspects to driving electric vehicles than just reducing your emissions, rapid acceleration and low maintenance costs. The advent of EV technology has opened the way to developing a range of electric transport options: electric cargo vehicles, utes, buses, trucks, scooters, mopeds and motorbikes - even e-planes and e-boats. These will radically impact our lives in coming months and years.
"There's so many advantages to transitioning to electric vehicles. For example, saving dollars on lower EV maintenance costs, or not being woken rudely thanks to the silent operation of an electric garbage truck," says Bridie Schmidt, co-organiser and MC at the EV Forum, herself a specialist writer “tracking the EV revolution” on EV website The Driven.
"Have you considered car-sharing an EV, so you don’t even have to go to the expense of owning a car? Or would you like to know more about the legal issues of self-driving cars? And how can councils and governments make the transition to zero emissions transport smoother?"
Find out the answers at Zero Emissions Byron EV Forum this coming Saturday, 8 June, at the Cavanbah Centre in Byron Bay between 10 and 4pm. As well as being able to view some of the newest EVs to reach Australia from car manufacturers such as Hyundai with their Ioniq and Kona, there will also be a range of EVs on display privately owned by locals. Get the lowdown from them on exactly what it’s like to drive one, where they charge them and what the advantages are.
At 10.45am, the Forum will be opened by Vicki Brooke, Chair of Zero Emissions Byron, who will introduce local resident and EV aficionado Giles Parkinson. A journalist for 35 years and former business and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review, he founded and edits RenewEconomy.com.au, Australia’s most read website focused on clean energy news and analysis and climate policy, as well as an insider’s guide to electric vehicles called TheDriven.io.
The complete program covers eight pithy sessions with experienced and leading edge industry experts.
11am Session 1: Australian Innovation – with Michelle Nazzari from Fonzarelli, and Greg McGarvie, from ACE-EV.
11.30am Session 2: EV Conversions – with Dave Budge from Jaunt Motors, and Andy Naughton, from EV Machina.
12noon Session 3: Buses and Car Hire – with Slava Kozlovskii, from Evee and Cliff Hall from Goonellabah company, HRDS Tech.
12.30pm Session 4: Scooters, Bikes & Trikes – with local Sapoty Brook, from Beyond Oil and Christopher Hilton, from Beam.
1pm Session 5: Electric Vehicle Strategies – with Tamara Smith MP for Ballina, Debbie Firestone from Tweed Shire Council, and Nicola Saltman, from the Waverly Tri-Council in Sydney.
1.45 pm Session 6: Charging Infrastructure and Tariffs – with Alexei Watson from Essential Energy, and Carola Jonas, from Everty.
2.15pm Session 7: The Future of Transport – with Daniel Strzina, from Byron Shire Council and Susannah Wilkinson, from Herbert Smith Freehills.
2.45pm Session 8: 2019 EV Offerings – with Mark Tipping, President, Tesla Owners Club of Australia, and a number of local EV owners.
For school-aged children, ZEB is holding a competition, with great prizes.
11 - 18 year olds: What would your ideal electric vehicle (EV) transport solution look like? Describe it in under 400 words. Illustrate if you want, but you must submit your entries by 5pm on Friday 7 June, by emailing zeb at zerobyron dot org
5 - 10 year olds: Draw a picture of an electric vehicle you’d like to ride in.
Entries will be displayed at the EV Forum.
Kids: bring your entry along before midday. Judging happens at 2pm, when prizes will be presented.
