Click here to see the latest range and pricing information for Blade Electron.

NECO’s Electron

Smart Green Living experts, NECO, are happy with their Electron:

“We’ve had our Blade Electric Vehicle (“Electron”) for almost 12 months now, and we couldn’t be happier. We love the fact that it is zero emissions, has zippy performance, and turns heads for all the right reasons!

Big pat-on-the-back to Ross Blade and the team at BEV for the work they have done on this car. They’ve also had some great write-ups in “Drive” in recent weeks. Support local engineering and manufacturing, and try an Electron – it’s the future of motoring today!”

Read more>

Electric vehicles converged on the Mecca of Australian motor racing, Mount Panorama in Bathurst, last week for the Central NSW Councils Electric Vehicle Challenge.

An eerie silence descended over the Mount in what would have to be the quietest “race meeting” ever held there.

The Electron was joined in circuits of the famous track by the world’s only production electric sports car, the Tesla. While the $250,000, two seat Tesla zoomed (at the public speed limit of 60kmh) around the track, the Electron carried four adults at a time easily over the testing, steep mountain and down the long straight, picking up valuable regenerative energy at the same time.

After six full circuits of the 6.5 km track, the fuel gauge still indicated over 50% charge remaining, confirming the claimed range figures for the Electron (allowing for load and hilly terrain).

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV was notably absent from the Challenge.

Simon Hackett, MD of Internode and an Electron (and Tesla) owner, puts it succinctly: “Once you drive an electric car, you realise you are in a generation-changing vehicle. And I don’t miss the generation I’m leaving.”

The batteries in the Electron are ideally suited to Australia’s hot climate.

For the past two years Electrons owned by various Victorian councils have been kept outside in all weather without any cover 24 hours a day seven days a week.

During that time data collected by the University of Ballarat has shown no appreciable deterioration in the capacity of the battery packs.

And Electron batteries absorb and deliver more energy the warmer the weather gets.

Peter Meurs, managing director for WorleyParsons’ sustainable business arm EcoNomics, shows off his Blade Electron at the launch of Australia’s first major EV trial in Western Australia.

See video report here.

Read the story here

On display is the ‘CO2 Tacho’ to be installed in each Electron (naturally it will be smaller) to (a) record the CO2 content of energy being put into the car and (b) allow the drive to automatically set charging to commence when Green energy on the grid is at its highest and to turn charging off when dirty power is at its highest.

Blade Electric Vehicles featured in the First Person segment of the ABC’s Inside Business program with Alan Kohler today.
Ross was interviewed about the business approach and long term goals of the company.
You can see a transcript and watch the video at the ABC website – click here.

Following a successful crash test last year, BEV has received official approval from the Department of Transport Administrator of Vehicle Standards to produce up to 100 electric vehicles per year. This builds on BEV’s status as a licensed low volume (second stage) manufacturer of motor vehicles.

Click here to visit the DOTARS RVCS (Road Vehicle Certification System) website to view the documentation. We have Certification Unit ID 41245.

Click here to see the press release

The Good Loaf Cafe and Bakery in Bendigo has installed an EV charging point outside the cafe to cater for patrons who wish to charge their vehicles while relaxing over a coffee or meal. Proprietor Laurie Whelan has long had an interest in renewable energy and the effects of climate change, and saw the opportunity to install the point while fitting out the premises.

“We were putting in bike racks and so forth, and I think electric vehicles will be around in increasing numbers in the next few years, so I was keen to cater for them as well here at the bakery”, he said.

October, 2009

Australia’s  first  commercial  electric  car,  the  Blade  Electron,  has  passed  the  frontal  offset   crash  test  required  under  Australian  Design  Rule  73/00.

“The  excellent  test  result  proves  that  the  Electron  is  a  safe  vehicle  according  to  Australia’s   stringent  standards  and  further  demonstrates  Blade’s  commitment  to  the  safety  of  its   customers”,  said  Blade  Electric  Vehicles  founder,  Ross  Blade.

In  2009  VICroads  stated  that  there  was  clear  evidence  to  show  changing  the  drive  system   in  a  production  vehicle  can  lead  to  the  failure  of  safety  systems  such  as  air  bags  during  a   collision.  Blade’s  immediate  response  was  to  arrange  for  the  Electron  to  be  crash  tested.   The  results  prove  beyond  doubt  that  Blade’s  remanufacture  of  the  Hyundai  Getz  to  electric   drive  has  kept  all  existing  safety  features  fully  functional.

The  complete  test  results  can  be  viewed  at  BEV’s  website,  www.bev.com.au.

For  further  information,  contact:

Ross  Blade,  Blade  Electric  Vehicles,  03  5472  2009