Past Events

Melbourne 2011

Following on from the success of the inaugural October 2010 event, the world-first GreenZone Drive returned to Melbourne in August 2011. With in excess of 1,000 test-drives completed during its first-ever week-long exhibition in the Docklands precinct, the 2011 RACV GreenZone Drive showcased an increased range of low emission vehicles now available.

The RACV-sponsored event featured not one, but two zero tailpipe emission cars for the public to drive, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV – which proved a huge success in the 2010 GreenZone Drive event – and the all-new Nissan LEAF.

Like the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the new Nissan LEAF is also involved in the Victorian Government’s Electric Vehicle Trial.  These two vehicles in particular are proven examples of how quickly the automotive industry is moving toward a zero emission future.

Proving the success of last year’s formula, the 2011 RACV GreenZone event also featured a host of showroom-ready low emission technologies, from high efficiency petrol and high torque diesel through to petrol hybrids.  On offer to drive or on display, the line-up included the all-new Honda CR-Z hybrid – the first of its type in the world, the freshly minted Audi A6 turbo-diesel luxury sedan as well as the Honda Jazz light-segment hatch, and a diesel-powered luxury Volvo XC60 SUV.  Highly-efficient diesel-powered Renault Latitudes were also a highlight.

This year’s event was held at the Rialto Plaza in Collins Street, Melbourne, and also featured a specifically laid-out GreenZone drive route through the city streets.

Like the inaugural event, the 2011 RACV GreenZone Drive was staged by the RACV and the Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) Automotive Partnership with support from Shell, Michelin, the Global Fuel Economy Initiative and Better Place.

The 2011 RACV GreenZone Drive test fleet in Melbourne included the following vehicles:

  • Audi A1 1.4 TFSI Sport (139g/km CO2)
  • Audi A6 3.0 TDI quattro (158g/km CO2
  • Honda Jazz Gli (138g/km CO2)
  • Honda Insight VTI-L (109g/km CO2)
  • Mitsubishi i-MiEV (0 g/km CO2)
  • Nissan LEAF (0 g/km CO2)
  • Renault Latitude 2.0dCi (170g/km CO2)
  • Volvo XC60 D5 (183g/km CO2)
  • Volvo V60 (‹160g/km CO2)

The 2011 RACV GreenZone Drive was held 29 August to 2 September in Melbourne.

View Media Releases and images for Melbourne 2011

Melbourne 2010

The world’s first Low Emission Vehicle drive spectacular took place at Melbourne’s Docklands precinct in October 2010.  The inaugural GreenZone Drive aimed to raise public awareness of the availability of low emission vehicles.

 

The week-long event combined a display of the very latest low emission vehicles from global manufacturers as well as a unique opportunity for test drives of those cars on the ‘GreenZone Drive’ route, in the heart of Melbourne.

The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) and the Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) Automotive Partnership – with the support of the Victorian Department of Transport, the Victorian EPA, the Global Fuel Efficiency Initiative 50BY50 program and the Australian Conservation Foundation – all combined to stage the event.

The RACV and the LEV Automotive Partnership devised the GreenZone Drive to provide a clear view for the buying public on the low emission vehicles that can be purchased today, as well as in the near future.

The showcase of test drive vehicles included a wide range of market segments, from luxury cars to compact SUVs, to city commuters, even full electric vehicles.

Eligibility for the GreenZone Drive was limited to vehicles that get within 50 percent of the best in class CO2 emissions for the light and small car classes, and additionally they must not consume more than 7.0-litres of fuel per 100 kilometres travelled on the recognised Australian combined test cycle, for larger vehicles.

In addition to low emission vehicles, the GreenZone Drive played host to Australia’s first commercially available manufacturer-supplied zero tailpipe emission electric car, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV.  A car powered solely by battery-driven electric motors.

The GreenZone Drive test fleet included the following vehicles:

  • Audi A4 sedan 2.0 TDI e (124 g/km CO2)
  • Audi A4 2.0 sedan TDI (169 g/km CO2)
  • Audi A5 Sportback 3.0 TDI (174 g/km CO2)
  • Blade Electron V (0 g/km CO2)
  • BMW X1 sDrive 2.0d (139 g/km CO2)
  • BMW 320d sedan (140 g/km CO2)
  • Citroen C5 2.0-diesel (179 g/km CO2)
  • Citroen C4 Grand Picasso (157 g/km CO2)
  • Ford ECOnetic Fiesta (98 g/km CO2)
  • Ford Mondeo TDCi (165 g/km CO2)
  • Hyundai i20 Active (142 g/km CO2)
  • Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2 CRDI (197 g/km CO2)
  • MINI Cooper D (104 g/km CO2)
  • Mitsubishi i-MiEV (0 g/km CO2)
  • Mitsubishi ASX (154 g/km CO2)
  • Toyota Prius (89 g/km CO2)
  • Toyota Hybrid Camry (142 g/km CO2)
  • Volvo C30 DRIVe 1.6 (99 g/km CO2)

The world’s first GreenZone Drive was held 2 to 8 October, 2010.

View Media Releases and images for Melbourne 2010