Howard Eastwood sets a World Record

Australia’s first electric car turned one last week, marking the occasion by becoming the first electric car in the world to clock 10,000km in a year, according to its owner.

Retired Glen Innes businessman Howard Eastwood took delivery of the one hundred per cent electric prototype the ‘evMe’ on March 26 last year.

When he blew a fuse in February he contacted the Swiss company who had manufactured the part. When asked how many kilometres the car had on it, 8000-odd at the time, the company told Mr Eastwood that no electric car in the world had done 10,000km in 12 months.

“I thought if that’s the case I’ll keep driving it and clock it up to 10,000km to mark one year,” he said. “I have been driving it to places like Inverell, Forster, Grafton and Gloucester.”

Last week Mr Eastwood and Mayor Steve Toms drove laps of the main street to tick the odometer over to 10,000km.

“It is a great car to drive,” Cr Toms said.

“It is silent and feels like it has plenty of power.”

Cr Toms said the car was a tribute to Mr Eastwood for his determination and preservation with the whole concept of an electric car.

The evMe runs on three different systems a 10amp quick charge for round town trips, 15amp charge for highway driving lasting 200km and will soon have a 32 amp one-hour charge to drive from Brisbane to Melbourne.

Mr Eastwood said the car has had continual adjustments over the year. He said the car has only run out of charge once 15km out of town on his way back from Grafton. Mr Eastwood said he had to pull into a farm house and plug in for 20minutes. But he said the problem had since been corrected.

Armidale based technology company Energetique developed the evMe over four years. It was launched in Armidale in November 2008. The evMe has a body of a Mazda 2, has a power socket instead of a fuel tank and does not have a gearbox with only park, drive and reverse available.

NAOMI DAVIDSON

Glenn Innes Examiner