Dutchman ends 'world's longest electric car trip' in Australia

World
Europe

A Dutchman completed an epic 95,000-kilometer journey by electric car in Sydney on Sunday in a bid to prove the viability of such vehicles in tackling climate change.

Wiebe Wakker drove his retrofitted station wagon nicknamed "The Blue Bandit" across 33 countries in what he said was the world's longest-ever journey by electric car.

Dutch driver Wiebe Wakker celebrates after driving his retrofitted station wagon nicknamed "The Blue Bandit" onto a platform to complete a world trip in an electric car with the backdrop of Sydney Harbour Bridge in Sydney on April 7, 2019. /VCG Photo

The trip from the Netherlands to Australia took over three years and was funded by public donations from around the world, including electricity to charge the Bandit, food and a place to sleep.

Wakker drove across a variety of countries and environments including Turkey, Iran, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Indonesia, with the route determined by the offers he received on his website.

(L-R): Dutch adventurer Wiebe Wakker in Thailand's Bangkok, Indonesia's Bali and Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur. /VCG Photo

"I wanted to change people's opinions and inspire people to start driving electric by showing the advantages of sustainable mobility," Wakker said.

"If one man can drive to the other side of the world in an electric car, then EVs (electric vehicles) should definitely be viable for daily use."

Dutch adventurer Wiebe Wakker on his electric car journey from the Netherlands to Australia, in Penang, Malaysia, July 2017. /VCG Photo

Wakker said before the car was modified, it would have used 6,785 liters (1,800 U.S. gallons) of petrol to complete the journey.

The modified vehicle can travel 200 kilometers on a single charge, with Wakker saying he spent just 300 U.S. dollars on electricity, much of it in the remote desert Outback of Australia.

(Cover: Dutch adventurer Wiebe Wakker on his electric car journey from the Netherlands to Australia, near Kalay, Myanmar, June 2017. /VCG Photo)

Source(s): AFP