By Tyler Wright
The Dandenong Ranges Renewable Energy Association (DRREA) will host an electric car display on Saturday 30 April as drivers see petrol prices increase once again.
Owners of electric cars will visit the IGA car park in Emerald to answer questions about their vehicles.
DRREA President Peter Cook said there will be two Teslas, three Nissan Leafs, one Volt, one Toyota Corolla and one Mitsubishi Outlander on the day and the event is an attempt to push for an electric charging station in Emerald township.
“If more and more people in the future drive up there in electric vehicles, then it would be good that they be able to recharge their vehicles while they’re having lunch or doing whatever they might be doing in Emerald,” Mr Cook said.
Mr Cook said with the increasing price of petrol and different types of electric vehicles now on the market, people may benefit from gaining insight into their advantages and disadvantages.
He also said some of the electric vehicles on display are cheaper second hand options imported from Japan.
“Second-hand electric vehicles [make] electric vehicles much more affordable than just the option of buying new.
“Which has eventuated just in the last 12 to 18 months,” he said.
The Electric Vehicle Council said 6,900 electric vehicles were sold in Australia in 2020, an increase of 182 cars from 2019.
Battery Electric Vehicles took the majority of sales, with Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles representing just under one-quarter of sales.
And as of August 2021, there were over 3,000 public chargers installed across Australia.
The DRREA’s ‘Show and Tell’ will take place from 10:00am to 12:00pm on the day.
