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Electric vehicle event & launch of EV community bulk buy

Media Release

Electric Vehicles Community Information Event, 10.30-1.00pm, Saturday 19 February 2022. 

VENUE: The Memo 235 Maroondah Hwy, Healesville VIC 3777. This is a face to face event and Covid-19 safety regulations are applicable.

Registration online (Registration for this event will open three weeks prior to the event) https://www.yvcommunitypowerhub.org.au/events/event/electric-vehicles-community-information-event/

One of the biggest sources of our greenhouse gas emissions is transport! 

Vehicles using clean, renewable energy can help to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gases, reduce air pollution and make our environment more liveable. 

EV’s are the future for the car industry and manufacturers are rapidly transitioning to EV’s internationally. Australia is a laggard in this regard on the international stage.

Nearly 80% of Norway’s new car sales are electric vehicles and they hope to stop the manufacture and import of fossil fuel powered vehicles by 2025.  

To bring more attention to how we in the Yarra Valley and Ranges region can transition to EV’s, the Yarra Valley Community Power Hub and Healesville CoRE will be hosting this event supported by Yarra Ranges Council and Sustainability Victoria, on behalf of the Victorian Government. 

The event will feature presentations from 5 speakers covering a wide range of topics, including the keynote speaker, Bryce Gaton, an EV writer and consultant who has been working in the EV sector for over 12 years. Amongst the many EV hats he wears, Bryce writes for the Australian EV website, The Driven, and works for the University of Melbourne as the EV safety trainer and supervisor for their Formula SAE race team.

When asked about the various problems many people raise about EV’s Bryce said: 

“It is amazing just how persistent some EV Urban Myths are. While several of them are fading away, (EV’s don’t have the range, EV’s are about as powerful and exciting as a golf buggy), others just refuse to die. As a result of answering the same questions in different settings, I decided to list my Top Ten EV Urban Myths That Deserve To Die in the (probably vain) hope that if I provide a collected set of simple, succinct answers to them – I will never need to answer these particular ones again.” Bryce will debunk some of these urban myths at this event!

Bryce will also bring his electric Hyundai Kona for display and, additionally, there will be at least 5 other electric vehicles on display with their owners being present to answer questions and to show you over the car. 

With the market for Zero emissions vehicles expected to mature over the next decade, the Victorian Government is preparing a Zero Emission Vehicle Roadmap to manage the transition.

Electric Vehicles will have an effect on our electricity grid and will provide an additional way of storing and distributing energy. Those households and businesses with solar electricity will be able to utilize free electricity to charge their car’s battery during daylight hours and it is envisioned that car batteries will be able to be used as a battery bank for home energy use when required.

This event will focus on the facts of EV’s: the types of electric vehicles available, the effect they have on the environment, the cost of buying and maintaining them, distances between recharges, charging stations available now and much more. Attendees will learn about the latest developments in the renewable energy transport field here and overseas.

In addition, the event will see the launch of a Community EV Bulk Buy. The Yarra Valley Community Power Hub and Healesville CoRE have partnered with the Good Car Company that imports second hand electric vehicles from Japan, to make them available to community groups in Australia, at really affordable prices. The Manager of the Good Car Company, Anton Vikstrom, will explain how residents of the Greater Yarra Valley and Ranges can participate in the Bulk Buy!

 Keynote Speaker:

Bryce Gaton, is an EV writer and consultant who has been working in the EV sector for over 12 years. Amongst the many EV hats he wears, Bryce writes for the Australian EV website, The Driven, and works for the University of Melbourne as the EV safety trainer and supervisor for their Formula SAE race team. Bryce will bring his electric Hyundai Kona.

Bryce will be joined by our other Guest speakers:

Kimjan Achilles (employed by Yarra Valley Water), who will talk about his decision to buy a new electric vehicle (MG ZS EV), and how good it is for him to own an EV. Kimjan will bring his MG. 

Trent Evans (a member of Yarra Glenergy) is involved in bringing a fast charger for electric cars to Yarra Glen. Trent will bring his Tesla series 3. 

Kym Saunders (Sustainability Coordinator at Yarra Ranges Council), will talk about the Council’s plan to change their fleet to EVs. Kym will bring one of the council’s EVs.

Anton Vikstrom: Manager of the Good Car Company, importer of second hand Japanese EV’s.

More info on Keynote speaker Bryce Gaton:

Bryce Gaton has been working and writing on Electric Vehicles (EVs) since 2008. His interest in EVs comes in part from his desire to lead a low environmental impact lifestyle – plus the fact that EVs are way ‘cooler’ to drive than ICE ones! His latest EV is a Hyundai Kona in which he has already covered over 30,000km – much of which has been interstate travel.

Bryce’s life is all about EVs. He writes for The Driven, runs an EV adoption support consultancy (EVchoice.com.au) and is the EV electrical safety trainer/build supervisor for Melbourne University’s FSAE EV race team. In his spare time he also writes on EV topics for Renew magazine and on behalf of Renew presents on EV issues and opportunities at Renew-run community forums and SDSE (Speed Date a Sustainability Expert) events.

Through being a driver of EVs, qualified science/environmental education teacher AND electrician, Bryce is well positioned to discuss the personal, environmental and technical aspects of moving with e-motion.