One of the first Hyundai Ioniq Electric owners in Australia will open her 10-star efficiency rating Melbourne house as part of Sustainable House Day on September 15.
Carolyn Honey and husband Garth bought the EV when looking to switch from internal combustion driving to take advantage of the excess power generated by their home solar installation.
“I wanted an efficient electric vehicle for city commuting at the right price. The Ioniq Electric was the first car to arrive in Australia that ticked all the boxes, and I felt comfortable driving it on the test drive,” Honey says.
Melbourne’s Doncaster Hyundai, where Honey bought her new EV, will have staff attending the open home with a Kona Electric SUV to showcase the Hyundai EV range.
“We’re delighted that we could provide the ideal vehicle for the Honeys’ sustainable lifestyle in the form of a new Hyundai Ioniq Electric,” Doncaster Hyundai dealer principal, Jonathan Pau says.
“The Ioniq Electric is the perfect fit for their garage, being powered exclusively by energy from their home’s solar installation.”
The Honeys’ switch to an EV has proved a seamless and enjoyable experience.
“The Ioniq is a bit bigger than what I was used to driving – I was previously driving a Golf and a Corolla – but it feels agile and much more responsive,” Honey says.
“I don’t really notice how nice the Ioniq is to drive until I hop back into an internal combustion car, where there is a disconcerting split-second delay and a jolt on acceleration.”
Inspired by previous Sustainable House Days, the Honeys have retrofitted their 1960s home in Burwood East to minimise grid power use.
Sustainability measures in their all-electric home include a 32-panel, 8.4kWh solar array, 6kWh of batteries and upgraded thermal insulation, to achieve the maximum 10-star rating on the Victorian Residential Efficiency Scorecard.
Sustainable House Day saw about 33,000 people visiting 226 homes across Australia last year.
Visit sustainablehouseday.com for more information.
