Rotorua eyed as top spot for electric car influx

Dee West (front) and international roadshow guest Elinor Chalmers with the popular electric campervan. Photo / Stephen Parker

Most people would not expect to see a car literally dancing on their Monday morning, but that is exactly what those who came down to the electric car roadshow got.

The push of a button and the Tesla electric vehicle on display burst to life. Doors flailing, music pumping and light flashing - just one of the car's snazzy features.

But these features were not the reason the electric car was in town.

The first Electrifying Conversations Roadshow rolled into town on Sunday on its six-day road trip around the country 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, tourism and energy independence in the city.

Not just that, Rotorua residents were also given the opportunity to take an electric car for a whirl at the Ibis Hotel.

Roadshow convenor Dee West said the event had been in planning for four years and aimed to quash misinformation about electric vehicles and start local conversations about sustainability.

West's passion came from 40 years of travelling, where she had seen the world change as a result of climate change and wanting to do something about it, she said.

Changing a small behaviour like transport could make a world of difference, she said.

West said 98 per cent of the average car's life was spent stationary and that time could easily be spent charging.

Chief executive of Rotorua Economic Development Michelle Templer said the roadshow aligned with the city's values and showed a commitment to our active environment.

Business development manager at Destination Rotorua Fraser Hungerford said this was a good opportunity to lead the charge in sustainability with electric vehicle adoption.

As a tourism capital, many believed the city was in a top position to lead the charge, with a fully-electric campervan also on display.

So much so, an app called Powertrip had been designed for electric-travelling tourists that allowed them to see how far their battery would take them and their nearest charging stations.

There were a total of two million electric vehicles sold globally last year with this number expected to skyrocket over the next decade.