Award to remember journalist
Commitment to elevating electric vehicles as relevant new car choices has seen Hyundai New Zealand become the first recipient of a national award recognising automotive innovation.
The Dave Moore Award was presented to the automotive distributor last week.
This is a new award, decided by the New Zealand Motoring Writers Guild, an independent organisation which represents the majority of this country’s journalists writing about automotive affairs.
It’s presented in memory of former Fairfax/Stuff motoring journalist Dave Moore, of Christchurch, who died in May, 2017, at age 67.
Dave was born in Wales and became the fulltime motoring editor for his adopted home town newspaper, The Press, in 1992.
He shifted into a national role, until 2015, after that publication became part of what was then Fairfax Media. This, and his involvement with other media, made him a household name.
‘‘The Dave Moore Award, which is colloquially known as ‘The Ruby’ in reference to his wee dog who was as much a part of his life – and stories – as his family, is in tribute to a colleague whose particular interest was in technology advancement and design,’’ says guild president Richard Edwards.
Dave’s widow, Trish, was a guest of the guild for the handover, to Hyundai NZ general manager Andy Sinclair. ‘‘Hyundai internationally is mounting a $32 billion technology push in this area and it is a great credit that its affiliate here, a wholly New Zealand-owned company, has been an impressively early ambassador for the brand’s latest battery-driven products,’’ says Edwards.
Within the past two years Hyundai NZ has launched hybrid, plug-in electric and fully electric editions of the Ioniq hatch, followed up with the Electric edition of its Kona compact crossover.
The Kona Electric’s real-world range of more than 450km is a breakthrough. Even at $70k-plus, it’s much more affordable than other models offering similar range.
Hyundai has also indicated a willingness to bring the hydrogen fuel cell-powered Nexo SUV to New Zealand for a trial, and has been open to the idea of similarly powered trucks.
‘‘The electric vehicle scene is a hot spot here and Hyundai is very much setting the temperature in the sub-$100,000 sector,’’ Edwards says.
‘‘Yes, battery technology unavoidably carries a premium, yet the fleet and private sector interest in the Hyundai product is significant enough to suggest that it is clearly not out of the reach of everyday drivers.
‘‘The brand effort here is certainly worthy of celebration, which is why we are delighted it is the first recipient of our award, recognising innovation that moves forward New Zealand motoring and also honouring a national motoring media identity.’’
Sinclair says: ‘‘It’s an honour to receive this inaugural Dave Moore Award in recognition of our commitment to new technology and innovation. We are committed to leading the charge in electric vehicles. It’s an incredibly exciting time for New Zealand and we look forward to the continued growth of electric vehicles and other alternative fuel technology.’’
The guild intends to present the Dave Moore Award annually.