Powertrains will help save our inner city coastlines

The future of personal car transport is exciting.

Sam Judd, Sustainable Coastlines CEO, spoke at the recent Jaguar I-Pace and Range Rover launch, explaining just how damaging our driving habits are to urban coastlines. In fact automotive pollutants are currently one of the biggest threats to Auckland’s inner city waterways.

Sam explained that it isn’t simply the emissions that make combustion engines a danger to our oceans. It’s the lubricants and oil deposits from engines and the heavy metals that are lost on to the road each time we brake and make their way out to sea that are a problem.

Such problems are being addressed by the way electric vehicles and PHEV’s continue to develop their technologies. The Jaguar I-Pace soon be on our roads is not only emission free but it also needs fewer lubricants. Less fossil fuel waste will find its way into our waters. The breaking system in the I-Pace has the potential to reduce the amount of heavy metals and minerals lost onto our roads.

While perhaps not unique to the I-Pace, the automatic engine -breaking system is pretty impressive in action. The car is essentially an SUV but with the heart and performance of a race car. The I-Pace is used in the first FIA Formula E support race, one of the emerging motorsports in the global racing landscape. Even those who aren’t car racing enthusiasts can’t help but appreciate the way it handles and the overall feeling of power it has when it accelerates. The fact that it is able to automatically use the engine to slow down as soon as you take your foot off the accelerator and then capture the resulting energy and save it to the battery is a marvel.

SUV’s are of course to some degree work horses. We want them to be able to go over all terrain, tow heavy loads as well as being an all-round versatile city vehicles. This is something the Tesla X can easily do and the recently released Range Rover Evoque PHEV is designed for this kind of driving challenge. I have seen the Tesla X comfortably tow a double horse float up hills at a decent speed and understand that the Range Rover has clever technology that allows it to drive power to different wheels when towing, making light work of pulling a trailer out of the mud. Of course the Range Rover Evoque PHEV does this by switching to its latest technology high-performance petrol engine, not electric power. The fully electric Jaguar I-Pace is
a bit of surprise, however, as it can also travel through water (the water doesn’t effect the battery and there’s no exhaust) with ease and tow a horse float or mid-sized boat.

Knowing the capabilities and advances of electric and PHEV vehicles is important as it dispels the myths and makes them an undeniably good and informed choice for anyone’s next car. New releases and innovations are constantly occurring and for Tesla this is business as usual. A local spokesman for the company points out that a month for Tesla is a very long time and much can happen. This is, of course, true with the more affordable Model 3 about to be seen around the Auckland streets. Tesla has just launched another financially more accessible electric vehicle, the Model Y. Where the Tesla Model 3 easily transports mum, dad and three kids, the soon-to-be-released model Y is designed to be a high-performance SUV that can fit up to seven adults and can accelerate up to 100km per hour in as little as 3.7 seconds.

With an increasing number of Tesla owners in and around Ponsonby, the release of the Model 3 and Model Y are likely to grow this further. A spokeswoman for Tesla explained that New Zealand’s Tesla owners come from all walks of life with many Ponsonby News readers among them. “Our owners are tech-savvy, innovative, safety conscious and care about sustainable energy. Tesla ticks all those boxes for them,” explained the Tesla spokeswoman.

Ponsonby local Sid Sahrawat, owner of Sidart, Cassia and Sid at The French Cafe is a Tesla driver who chose Tesla as part of his commitment to zero emissions. “We focus on sustainability in our restaurants, using sustainable produce, minimising wastage and saying no to plastic. It was important for me to extend this to my own life as well. A Tesla was the perfect way for me to commit to using renewable energy whilst still enjoying the driving experience,” says Sid.

When the first Jaguar I-Pace owners begin driving their no emission vehicles around the city and the Model 3 and Model Y are delivered to those on the Tesla waiting list, electric cars will have a stronger, silent presence. One day soon our roads will be a quieter more environmentally friendly place.