Grampian Transport Museum ready to welcome electric vehicles
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
The largest gathering of electric vehicles in the north-east and possibly Scotland is happening at Grampian Transport Museum's EV Expo on Sunday.
Privately owned cars and vans will stand alongside new cars from many manufacturers including Tesla, Audi, Jaguar, Renault, Nissan, MG, Kia and others.
Enthusiastic owners of electric cars from early models to the latest will share their experiences of life with an electric car while representatives of local car dealerships will show off the newest developments of a motor industry currently undergoing the greatest revolution since the invention of the internal combustion engine.
Museum assistant curator and events manager, Neil Thomson, is delighted at the response of both the public and dealers to bringing along their cars and sharing information with visitors.
He said: “This event ran for the first time in 2018 with just private owners. Visitors were full of praise for the opportunity to learn what life is like with the new technology, at that time in its infancy.
"In 2019 Tesla came along with the then new Model 3 and that attracted a lot of interest. Having had to cancel last year due to Covid-19 we had planned a gentle return for 2021.
"However, the electric vehicle market is now really taking hold and the growth in the public’s interest in owning an electric car is being met by many more manufacturers launching new models, each with the latest available technology.
"EV Expo at GTM this weekend is the best opportunity yet for interested potential electric vehicle owners to see a range of makes and models all in one place, while also being able to talk to current owners about living with them in the real world.
"There will also be expert input from well know electric car rally star Chris Ramsay and commentary from Andrew Martin to keep the day flowing.”
Museum curator Mike Ward has long been an advocate of what he calls "a transport revolution".
He said: “The museum has a very important responsibility to educate, inform and entertain.
"That is why two of our key exhibitions are ‘It’s electric’, which celebrates the life of Aberdeen’s own pioneer of EV technology, Robert Davidson, and our ‘Probing the Future’ exhibition which uses the past to show how the future will be with electric and autonomous vehicles.
“EV Expo is a way in which we can help bring that future to life for drivers in the north-east of Scotland.
"They can come along on Sunday and look closely at the vehicles and with the opportunity to ask questions about ease of use, how and when to charge them economically, real life battery range, how to plan longer journeys and a myriad of other questions. The answers will then enable them to make the change to electric how and when will best suit themselves.
"This is a unique approach of which GTM is rightly proud and which we are pleased to bring back this year with very high Covid care standards.
"This means that we will be unable to offer rides, as previously, but vehicles will circulate our track gently from time to time to demonstrate how different our roads could sound after 2030. Once again GTM is probing the future.”
To attend EV Expo at GTM this Sunday people must book in advance by visiting www.gtm.org.uk
There they will find the options to bring their own electric vehicle, to visit just the EV Expo or to include it in the visit to the museum itself.
Grampian Transport Museum is currently open 10am-5pm seven days a week.
Related story: Electric Vehicle owners can attend Grampian Transport Museum's EV Expo
