Electric car convoy rolls into town, free rides on offer

Many electric cars are manufactured in Germany. Photo / File

A roadshow with a convoy of electric vehicles offering free rides and conversations on sustainability has hit Rotorua.

The first Electrifying Conversations Roadshow rolled into town yesterday with 10 electric vehicles and 27 people in tow.

The tour was having breakfast with the council, iwi and local businesses this morning to discuss electrification, sustainability and energy independence in the city.

Not just that, Rotorua residents will also be given the opportunity to experience an electric car with rides and drives available at the Ibis Rotorua from 8.30am to 10am today.

Roadshow convenor Dee West said this was a global conversation and the impact of the electric vehicle adoption in New Zealand puts the country on the map as a nation who cares about the future and takes the climate crisis seriously.

There was a range of international delegates joining the tour from as far as Scotland and Belgium.

West said Rotorua was a jewel in the country's robust tourist narrative, and electrification of transport and sustainability could thrive here.

There were currently more than 16,000 electric vehicles registered on NZ roads, and new registrations were more than doubling each year.