Converting from pony to electric vehicle
Times have certainly changed for 89-year-old Roald Barthow.
His first mode of transport was a Shetland pony, which gave him a rather interesting ride to school at times.
He remembers when his family bought their first vehicle, a Fargo one tonne truck. He learnt to drive in it before getting his first car, a 1938 Hillman 14.
Now the Thames man, who has had his driver’s licence for more than 70 years, drives a fully electric Nissan Leaf, and he loves it.
‘‘It does zero to 100[km] in 10 seconds. If you put your foot down, you’re off like a rocket,’’ he said.
The car takes him 130km before needing to be charged enough to get to to Auckland.
The former dairy farmer decided to buy the electric car after attending an environmental seminar many years ago.
‘‘I think it’s good for the environment. You’ve got to do something about it instead of just talk,’’ he said.
Barthow was the star of the new electric vehicle charger launch in the Thames District Library carpark in Mackay St on Friday.
The charge station was a joint project between Powerco and Charge Net NZ, in collaboration with the ThamesCoromandel District Council.
Barthow thought the public charger was a great idea and would like to see more chargers around the Coromandel Peninsula. The charger was launched by Minister of Transport Simon Bridges, who said it was amazing that Barthow had an electric car at nearly 90-yearsold.