Whilst the Tesla was having it’s midday top-up today, Simon spent some time talking to ABC 891 via telephone from Glendambo (which is about half-way between Coober Pedy and Port Augusta in South Australia).

He spoke about the Global Green Challenge and the Tesla’s record breaking run yesterday, amongst other things. He also answered a few of the common questions that people have  been asking.

Here’s an MP3 of the interview.

According to our real-time satellite tracking, the team are just passing Pimba and Woomera in northern South Australia. They’ll be stopping over night tonight in Port Augusta.

After a very long day yesterday (don’t we say that every day?), Team Internode did what they intended to do: set a new distance record for a production electric car.

Simon and Emilis making history

In the words of the man himself:

On Tuesday 27 October 2009, Simon Hackett, Managing Director of Australian national broadband company Internode, who owns the only Roadster in Australia, has driven it with with co-driver Emilis Prelgauskas, to a distance of 501 km’s (313 miles) on a single charge.

The world record-setting distance for a production electric car on a single charge was achieved as part of the Global Green Challenge (http://www.globalgreenchallenge.com.au). The car had about 3 miles of range left when the drive was completed.

Security Seal applied before the record breaking drive

The distance will be fully accredited by event officials in due course, and preparation for the record-setting drive included security sealing of the electric charge port door at departure and full on-road supervision of the vehicle during the drive.

The path driven was to the south from Alice Springs, in the Australian Northern Territory, and ended at a distance marker on the highway at a point 183 km north of Coober Pedy, in South Australia.

Internode’s favourite road marker on the entire Stuart Highway

Congratulations, team! We did it!

– Jessica Citizen