International Motor Show: Castlemaine’s Electric Car Accepted
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July 18, 2011The ‘big boys’ of the Australian International Motor Show board initially excluded Castlemaine’s Ross Blade, Australia’s only maker of electric cars from the 2011 show. The Age’s Lawrence Money went into bat for him.
WHAT Happened?
Castlemaine’s Blade Electric Vehicles chief executive Ross Blade said the business had been excluded after a vote was taken by the motor show’s board, which is made up of major foreign car manufacturers.
BUT
”I received a phone call advising.. [Lawrence Money’s] column had raised the issue..and David Purchase from the VACC offered Blade cars a space at the show. We put a vehicle in Friday morning and manned it for Saturday and Sunday’s crowd,” said Ross.
About Blade Electric Vehicles
The company has been manufacturing and selling the all-electric Blade Electron since 2008 and although it is licensed for full volume automotive manufacture Ross’ application to exhibit the new Electron DG product at this year’s motor show, the board rejected it.
The company had intended to use this year’s Melbourne show to announce the release of its Electron Deep Green product.
There are more than 40 Electrons on the road today.
“What rattles them I think is that as a small manufacturer we’re able to bring new technology, such as the latest in batteries and recharge capability, to market in advance of the majors,” said Ross.
Well done Blade Electric Vehicles
3 Comments
I so want one of these Blade cars but the cashflow is an issue. Particularly because it’s an Australian manufacturer. Good on him. They’d be great for a car share scheme
Well done Ross! Well done Laurence! I hope we soon will be able to genuinely ‘think local, buy local’!!
Good on you….would love to see one of your cars but can’t be bothered going the motor show to look at all the usual stuff. More interested in seeing new technology and great ideas in motor vehicle engineering….