The “Oz Goes Electric” tour is an event staged by Tesla Motors with the aim of allowing fans from Australia‘s eastern coast to get a closer look at the electric-powered sports car. Starting from March 16, the Tesla Roadster will journey 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles), which is the longest roadtrip ever to be undertaken by an EV in Australia, according to the company.
The tour, which will cover the states of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, will feature test drive events and public displays of the Tesla Roadster. In the state of Victoria, the tour has been included in the local government’s Electric Vehicle Trial, a programme that aims “to improve awareness, understanding and acceptance of electric vehicles.”
The Tesla Roadster holds the production EV record for distance covered on a single charge: 501 kilometers (311 miles), set in 2009, also in Australia.
“This road trip is a milestone. It’s the first time an electric vehicle has traveled a significant distance in Australia, charging along the way,” said Jay McCormack, Australian National Sales Manager for Tesla. “Many Australians will be seeing an EV for the first time, and we want them to see with their own eyes that electric cars can perform just as well as conventional cars without the emissions,” added the Tesla executive.
The Tesla Roadster accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 4 seconds and has an average range of 360 kilometers (224 miles).
By Dan Mihalascu
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