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ELECTRIC cars are the future, the owners of the vehicles parked in Bendigo’s Hargreaves Mall believe.
A BMW i8, a Tesla Model S, and a Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle were among those on display in the city’s centre on Wednesday.
The display coincided with a forum about electric vehicles at the Capital theatre, organised by the Bendigo Sustainability Group to encourage people to learn about the technology available and what’s to come.
Bendigo resident Paul Kirkpatrick has had his Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV since October 2014.
It has a two litre petrol engine, but is otherwise powered by an electric battery he charges at home.
The vehicle takes about six hours to fully charge, plugged into a power point in his garage.
“I’ve always had an interest in sustainability,” Mr Kirkpatrick said.
He said he had yet to encounter an issue with his vehicle, which he regularly uses to drive around Bendigo and to Melbourne.
“Electric vehicles are going to be everywhere,” he said.
Electrician Bryan Baker was drawn to the event by the hope of encouraging people to learn about the technology.
“One of my desires in life is to get people to understand what’s coming,” he said.
He said the technology in vehicles such as the Tesla S was ‘mind blowing’.
Bendigo is home to a number of electric vehicles, as are the surrounding central Victorian communities.
Access to more charging points is high on the wish lists of electronic vehicle owners.
“Council needs to think seriously about electric vehicles now,” Mr Baker said.