Rob McEwen – EVolocity Founder

We want to express our profound thanks to the visionary whose passion and dedication laid the groundwork for this entire movement: Rob McEwen, our founder and former Chair.

Rob’s commitment to sustainability and innovation is the very engine that powers EVolocity today. His exceptional career, marked by entrepreneurial success and philanthropy, has consistently focused on building a cleaner future for New Zealand. His vision was perhaps most clearly defined in the establishment of the New Zealand Clean Energy Centre (NZCEC) in Taupo, a state-of-the-art facility designed to accelerate the adoption of clean, renewable energy solutions by providing a crucial hub for businesses in the geothermal, solar, and biomass sectors.

It was following the completion of this monumental project that Rob stepped into the role of CEO for the newly formed Association for the Promotion of Electric Vehicles (APEV). Under his leadership, a multi-faceted programme was designed to ignite nationwide interest in electric vehicles. It was from this pioneering work that the concept for a powerful STEM education programme, the programme we know and cherish as EVolocity, was born. Rob’s foresight transformed a necessary conversation about clean energy into an exciting, hands-on learning experience for thousands of students.

While he now enjoys semi-retirement, you can still find Rob pursuing his passion for e-mobility as the Founder of MeloYelo e-bikes. Rob, your legacy is not just in the facilities you built or the companies you mentored; it is in every student who is inspired to engineer a clean energy solution, every electric vehicle built, and every classroom that hosts an EVolocity challenge.