Gladstone Ecofest, with the motto Repowering Gladstone, has a history of promoting environmental issues, but also struggles to attract electric vehicles to the event. Locals seem reluctant to display their Teslas (yes, there are in this huge coal export hub). The fact that the event is sponsored by major energy companies with a strong commitment to fossil fuels could be part of the problem. The all-electric Kia Niro EV Gladstone Library was a notable exception.
The all-electric Kia Niro EV Gladstone Library
So when my friend Arthur Hunt suggested I attend, bring my Tess and invite some friends, I thought, “What an adventure! Home, as I mentioned before, was fantastic! Organizer extraordinaire Anna Hitchcock, co-ordinator of the Gladstone Conservation Council, warned us that we would be mobbed, and we were, even after managing to reduce the number of cars present from 2 to 7. Anna had to return to the Council and ask for more space – a good problem to have.
We were assailed by the curious.
She said we needed to have deep technical knowledge to answer questions from Gladstone’s ‘car crazies and revheads’, and that they would ‘be impressed with our cars’. Well, I thought, we have Sam and Rado with us, so that’s handling the technical stuff. In fact, we didn’t seem to appeal to hardcore V8 car enthusiasts, and seemed to answer normal questions about range, charging time and cost. She was right about that: We are somewhat isolated from this change here in central Queensland.
There were ultimately 8 electric vehicles on our screen – 4 Tesla Model 3s, 1 Tesla Model S, 2 Hyundai Kona EVs and 1 BYD E6. Only one car was local. We ended up parked next to Sam Moran’s 2022 Tesla 3 Performance – a humbling experience for our Tess, which I now describe as an antique (2019 build SR+). My wife explains to me that our car came out on the first fleet. (i.e. the first fleet of Tesla transporters to Australia in 2019).
Majella answers questions about Tess.
We encouraged free access to our car, and I don’t think there was a time when no one was sitting in the car. Parents sometimes struggled to get their kids off the screen.
During the day, hundreds of people walked through the exhibit, including many children. The 12-25 year olds really knew their stuff and played with the screen like pros. They were really excited to see the car and sit in it. And then there were those who were too scared to sit there. Fart mode got a good workout.
Paul and his BYD E6.
I gave my speech on the rapid adoption of electric vehicles around the world. Ironically, I spoke after Toyota’s speech on self-charging hybrids. I managed to catch up with the speaker later in the day and we had “the talk”. He clarified that Toyota’s hybrids self-charge when using regenerative braking. Good point. He also informed me that the Toyota BZ4 EV will soon be in Australia. Even better point. Bill Robertson Toyota is a major sponsor of Ecofest and a proponent of green hydrogen, which they believe will play a major role in repowering Gladstone.
Business manager for noodoe Sam Moran (discover his interview here) made the observation: what was a little surprising was the lack of a DC fast charger in Gladstone, especially considering the caliber of energy companies with a strong local presence, including Origin, Santos and Shell.
Some DC EV fast charging stations in Gladstone would be a great initiative to encourage local EV adoption. Origin and Shell have recently made efforts with their electric vehicle charging infrastructure business. If they can line up their ducks, hopefully by the next Gladstone Ecofest, we might see a new fast charger or two in town.
Gladstone is a changing port city. The change is to move from exporting fossil fuels to exporting renewable energy. Fortescue Future Industries is setting up a massive green hydrogen export hub here to reinvigorate Gladstone. For this vibrant city, the future is bright and green.