Power to the people as electric car offered up for test drives

Wednesday, 26 July 2017

An electricity company is giving power back to the people in the form of four wheels.

Marlborough Lines has added a fully-electric car to its fleet and wants people in the region to take the cutting-edge car for a test drive.

The Nissan Leaf is a pollution-free, zero carbon car which can travel 200 kilometres on a single charge.

Marlborough Lines managing director Ken Forrest says the car is a practical addition for staff on short-range jobs.

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'It's an electric vehicle, this will be a thing of the future. And we'd like to give people the opportunity to try it,' he says.

'Given our business is electricity and that we serve the community, we thought 'why not?'

'And this won't be a white elephant, we want the community to take ownership of it.'

The $38,000 car was imported from the United Kingdom last week with just a touch over 10,000km on the odometer.

Ken says anyone with a full driving licence can book a time with the company to take the Nissan Leaf for a spin.

'Anyone is welcome to come and give it a test drive, but we won't be paying any tickets,' he says.

'This is a great opportunity for the people of Marlborough to try out an electric car.'

Drivers may be surprised at how the vehicle handles compared to a conventional vehicle, Ken says.

The Leaf loses charge while climbing hills, but gains extra battery life when descending as it creates power from braking.

A power plug attaches to the engine and allows the car to be charged on a household three-pin outlet.

It costs about $7.20 to fully charge the 2016 Nissan Leaf, which can reach a top speed of about 140kmh.

'This car is not for all purposes, but it does show the potential for electric cars,' Ken says.

The electric car will join the Marlborough Lines fleet for the use of power line inspectors.

There are no public charging stations in Blenheim. Ken hopes this will change in the coming years.