NRMA Broken Hill EV drive days wrap up
26 May, 2023
NRMA’s electric vehicle (EV) Drive Days went the distance in late March by travelling to Broken Hill, the most remote location yet and giving residents a chance to test drive and learn about EVs.
The event was held in Kintore Headframe Car Park in Broken Hill and saw 129 test drives completed.
To host this special event, the team drove nine EVs from Sydney to Broken Hill on an epic electric road trip, using NRMA's regional charging network to charge up over the two-day journey.
On day one, volunteers drove from Sydney to Nyngan, covering 539km and 6.5 hours of driving, excluding charging stops. NRMA chargers were available in Lithgow, Bathurst, and Orange on this leg, with plenty of amenities and dining options to keep drivers occupied while topping up their batteries.
The first night was spent in Nyngan, where the team had the great privilege to be welcomed by the Local Aboriginal Land Council with a smoking ceremony, an important and traditional gesture of welcome and cleansing.
Members of the Land Council extended their generous welcome with an invitation to eat and hear some history of the local area. We are thankful to have had the opportunity to meet some of the passionate and generous community in Nyngan.
The second leg of the journey, from Nyngan to Broken Hill, covered 588km and around six hours of driving along the Great Barrier Highway. This leg of the journey was a challenge, with only NRMA chargers available in Cobar and Wilcannia and larger distances between each stop.
The team and cars proved up to the task though, and everyone arrived in Broken Hill in time for dinner and rest before the event kicked off the next day.
Partnering with the NSW Government to deliver 20 EV Drive Days across NSW, the Broken Hill event was an important milestone in this project, spreading greater awareness about the benefits of EVs in Australia.
The event offered attendees the opportunity to test drive EV models including the Kia Niro and two Hyundai Kona vehicles from NRMA, as well as several Tesla Model 3s and the BMW iX3 from SIXT.
Several stalls were available to the public where they could chat to industry experts like Simply Energy. The NSW Government was also on site, providing information on EV incentives and initiatives and answering questions about the future of EVs in NSW.
Despite being our most logistically demanding Drive day, it was a huge success and rewarding experience for all involved. Attendees expressed their curiosity and interest in this new technology, with many pleasantly surprised that the trip to Broken Hill could be accomplished using electric vehicles.
All up, the Broken Hill EV Drive Day was a significant milestone in our electric mission. The event's success emphasizes the potential of electric vehicles as a sustainable mode of transportation and their ability to travel long distances when there is supporting infrastructure.
Stay up to date with the rest of the NRMA EV Drive Days schedule.
