Polestar conquers the Nullarbor using chip fat from roadhouse deep fryers
AUTOMOTIVE · SUSTAINABILITY · EARNED MEDIA
TL;DR
The first electric vehicle to cross the Nullarbor, charged by waste cooking oil from a remote roadhouse. The story ran in 250+ outlets across the globe.
The Brief
Polestar wanted to mark a genuine first: a Polestar 2 becoming the first electric vehicle to cross Australia’s Nullarbor Plain, a route long considered impassable for EVs due to the gap in charging infrastructure. The opportunity came via a remote roadhouse charger (BiØfil) that ran on waste cooking oil. The job: turn that crossing into a global story.
The Angle
An electric car crossing the outback, charged by chip fat from an outback roadhouse, on the 80th anniversary of the Eyre Highway. The Caiguna BiØfil charger became one of the most remote EV charging stations on earth, and the Polestar 2 the first EV to use it. A hook no newsroom could resist.
Pronto's Role
Pronto PR partnered with international content agency Timbuktu Content to deliver the campaign. On the ground in Western Australia, Dianne Bortoletto worked directly with cameraman Gavin Johns, conducted the interviews, and pitched and placed the story, driving the entire Australian media result. Timbuktu’s London team pushed the story into Reuters and onward to global wires.
Media Coverage Generated
The story ran in more than 250 outlets across 30 TV networks worldwide from Reuters, CNN and CNBC to the Daily Mail, Al Jazeera, China Daily and the Telegraph UK, as well as the full Australian coverage secured by Pronto PR. Media interest was locked in before filming began, and the campaign ran start to finish in three weeks, during a COVID-restricted shoot.
Reuters, CNN, CNBC, CTV Canada, ABC Australia, Channel 7, Channel 10, Daily Mail, China Daily, Al Jazeera, Yahoo, MSN, The West Australian, Telegraph UK, Auto Motor und Sport, TheDrive.com.
The Headline Numbers
250+ global media outlets
30 TV networks
3 weeks start to finish
Pre-secured coverage locked in before filming
Impact
It is reported that the publicity spurred on the West Australian Government to install an EV fast charger at Caiguna.