Interview Wiebe Wakker 2018

by
  • What is the goal of your project?
    With Plug Me In, I am trying to do my part in accelerating the transition to a carbon-free future. Electric vehicles are part of the solution, but this transition is also very slow, mainly due to the many prejudices about electric vehicles. People think they are unreliable or that they cannot cover long distances. If I can prove that I can drive from Holland to the other side of the world, why shouldn’t we be able to use it for daily use?
  • How is it funded?
    Plug Me In is based on collaboration between people. People can offer me a place to sleep, a meal, or a place to charge the car. The route is also decided by these people, which has made me zigzag through Europe, Asia, and Oceania, crossing 33 countries so far. That’s how I get around. It happens that I don’t eat for a few days or knock on someone’s door to ask if it’s okay to charge the car. I stayed for 2 months in Dubai to gather that money and later a few months in Malaysia to pay for shipping to Australia.
  • What is the first thing you do when you arrive in a new place?
    Enjoy!
  • Do you only stop to charge the car, or do you take the time to visit beautiful places?
    I definitely take time to see places. It’s a great togo almost everywhere with my electric car, as you can find electricity almost everywhere. I am very lucky to have seen some of the most beautiful places in the world. It depends a bit on the weather. Sometimes I travel and sometimes I take time to see places.
  • How do you organize yourself to charge the car? Have you encountered any difficulties in charging it?
    At first, I planned everything carefully because I had this thing called range anxiety. But once it was not possible to organize things, and I went somewhere to look for a place to charge. I call this ‘Range Excitement’, I start driving, and when I only have 10% battery left, at that moment I look at the map and see if there is a village/city/road nearby and I plug in the car to charge it. It always works.
  • Does the EV Portable work well?
    Yes, it has been my main charger almost every day. I find it very convenient that I can easily switch between the wall socket or three-phase charging. The design is also much better than my other cables that I use as backup.
  • Before starting your big journey, did you have any knowledge of how an electric car works? What model of car do you use? Would you recommend it?
    Actually, I had no knowledge about cars; I only learned to change a tire two weeks before I left, and maybe my lack of knowledge is my advantage because someone who would have known more about this car probably wouldn’t have done it. I use a converted 2009 VW Golf. It is one of the first-generation electric vehicles. It was originally the car of a Dutch utility company. They wanted electric vehicles to research V2G technology, but there were no cars available, so they converted 50 of these cars to fully electric. Later it came into the hands of Marcel from Bundles, and he lent me this car for this project. I definitely recommend this car. It is reliable, the range is good (200 km), and there is enough space to accommodate all the luggage. If you are interested in this car, I have bad news; only 50 of these cars were made.
  • Why didn’t you choose a Tesla for greater range?
    I was not in the fortunate position to choose a car. This project was my graduation project, and as a poor student, I couldn’t afford an electric car and needed a sponsor. I was lucky to find Marcel from Bundles, who sponsored this car. Besides, I wanted to demonstrate that this journey is possible with ‘normal’ electric cars, so I actually prefer this one to a Tesla.
  • Why do this trip alone?
    I wanted to challenge myself. I believe that if you are alone, you grow more as you have to face many challenges on your own.
  • How does the public react to your story, your journey, and your goals?
    Incredible! I am overwhelmed by all the reactions I get. Everyone is very excited about what I am doing because it is adventurous, interesting, and a bit crazy. People find it a good promotion for EVs and sustainability, and they are very happy to help me. More than 1,500 people from 45 countries have already offered help.

It is such a long journey you are making; you must have gained many diverse experiences.

  • Has your car ever had a flat tire, an accident, or received a ticket?
    So far, I have only had a flat tire and never an accident. I have received some speeding and parking tickets in Europe. We saw that you didn’t stop in Spain; was it because no one offered you to stay there or because it wasn’t part of your plan? Unfortunately, no one offered me to stay there. We believe that your story and your project will excite the Spanish people, as interest in electric vehicles is growing here.
  • We know that this adventure is nearing its end since you arrived in Australia. Are you thinking of continuing your journey in America or Asia?
    Yes, I am thinking of crossing the whole world. Going to the tip of South America after Australia and then continuing my way to Alaska. But I will decide this when I arrive in Sydney. At that point, I will have been traveling for almost 3 years, and maybe I will be too tired. Thank you very much for answering these questions. You must have inspired many people. We look forward to seeing your documentary so it can inspire more people.

Have a good trip!

More information about Ev portable