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I went over to Canberra's Parliamentary Triangle yesterday to check out the inaugural EV Festival [first they've held anyway] http://www.evcanberra.org or was it http://www.canberraev.org ?

Glad I did as I got to see the results of enthusiasts as you'd have to be to do what they've done. Mostly old cheapies to start with then spend $17k to $22k on a plug in electric system.An old Beetle work in progress, Daihatsu Charade complete with charging station awkwardly starpped to a tow bar style bracket, courtesy of Honda. An old Hyundai panel van, an old flat bed ute, an Aus model Ford Capri and a few that escape me at the moment.

Interesting to see a pair of vintage cars from 1915 - 1917. Electric motor and old lead acid batteries ! The highlight had to be the opportunity to line up with many others for a ride in the only Tesla in Australia. LHD and not yet registered in Australia for road use , think he said it had done some hill climb events. A short section of road had been closed off for the demo runs. This beast does 0 to 100kph in 3.9 seconds and got a bit of a hiding by the big Jezza on Top Gear who silly fella - ran out of charge on his test drive ! It looks to be that the turning circle BIG was not a high priority on the builders list. You can still hear it coming if it is being driven quickly as there is a small electric motor sound and tyre road noise. The owner of this example is I believe the owner or an owner of internode isp.

Obviously a good bloke to travel from South Oz for the day and give any goose a quick ride and back in his little road toy. He musta been there for four hours just chatting to anyone who asked.I did feel like offering to be the door monitor to prevent nearly everyone slamming his door shut each time they hopped in!!

Sounds like a great event. I hope to one day build an EV car but at this stage it's just too expensive for me.

I recall reading somewhere that the Tesla apparently never rang out of charge at all while being "tested" on topgear. When the manufacturer got the car back they checked the detailed logs the car keeps and it never came close to having the batteries exhausted. Clarkson eventually conceeded this was added to the feature as a "simulation" as to what would happen if the batteries did run down. As with a huge amount of Topgear it was just done for "effect".
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/12/22 ... ear_tesla/

I think I saw that Daihatsu Charade along with a Hilux ute at the North Canberra fair. The set ups were a lot simpler than I had imagined, although I guess I had never given much thought to what was actually required.

Looks simple yeah. A suitably sized electric motor solidly mounted into place with no rubber mounts to go on you. Just a spindle adaptor with splines to match the cars gearbox input shaft. The rest of the gear seems to be a box or two of electronics and a throttle adaptor. Oh, and just a few batteries of various types available. One fellow was trialling some Chinese made copies of an American brand that were half the price of the originals. So far so good. No clutch, and umm... no need to ask for an automatic. One fellow said he takes off in second gear and steps up to third - that's it (now some of us might be tempted to see just how much more speed can be achieved by using fourth and fifth eh )

No exhaust system to fall off or cause rattle - or a note!

No fuel tank or pump or injectors, fuel filter, air filter......no heater - No, the heater could be electric and to be compliant with ADR's they have used some sort of hair drier built into the demister ducting.

No petrol thieves here

One car was quoted at doing 80 km distance for $1.50 electrickery

there in a bloke up hear in Darwin that has 3 Electric cars he drives around Darwin picking up parts for his workshop .he says it is cheap to run but only test car so far and thay have rego .

That capri is probably Kearon's: ( http://www.evcapri.com/ )

It is Canberraev.org, or just http://www.aeva.asn.au

I wish I could have gone. The only EV I've ever really seen in the flesh is the mustang here in Perth.

*edit*

One of the guys from the Adelaide AEVA made a few videos, which are here, scroll down to 'videos'.

That go-kart is awesome! And Kearon's electric Formula Vee is there, too.

Wow they are everywhere now.

Spotted this thing cruising down Reid Highway a couple of days ago. Managed to snap a quick photo of it.

Canada !

Yep, It was Kearon, and he had his little red road rat there to. Calls himself theelectriccarcompany or near to.

Woulda been good to see the Blade EV Getz conversions show up, there's always next time.

Good snap for one done at the wheel, and taken at a time that adds a lighting effect,