Even trendy renewable energy requires PR. Granted, Al Gore helped to make climate change a topic again. But for the most part it’s been all about what you can do for the world and not for yourself. The New Motion, a company about “electric mobility powered by renewable energy,” turns this around. “If we want to create lasting change, we have to accept the premise that we act on self-interest,” says Alef Arendsen, one of the co-founders.
He talks about targeting early adopters in the Netherlands as they “make or break new technologies.” The mantra is about being “fun, cool, now and true,” making electric cars the “ipads on wheels,” about the “trendy greens” culture and Plug’N’Parties in Amsterdam, a PR move of partying around electric charging stations in Amsterdam. Arendsen makes a point, as it’s not easy to get the Dutch to shell out €40,000 for an average-sized four seater. It has to counteract media coverage like the one from De Telegraaf (the largest Dutch newspaper) about the legislation in Amsterdam that promotes the use of electric vehicles, deeming it to be ‘only applicable for the absolute elite.’ So it’s not just the wheels, but the idea on wheels, that will get this to become an economy of scale. It’s worth watching their next moves, as its no longer now about who kills the electric car but who will make it the new Ford of the 21st century. Don’t forget to check out the electric cars ready for a test drive in Leidesplein today!
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