This Monday 8 June, all Green Cars participating in the Revolve Eco-Rally ’09 Brighton to London race, will set off from Brighton’s coastal strip, Madeira Drive (BN2 1PS) at 10am. TV Presenter, Quentin Willson, will officially launch the rally at 08:00am with a pit-stop at Sainsbury’s flagship eco store in Greenwich, from 11:30. The rally will be joined at this point by more eco cars for the final route to the journey’s end at City Hall, London. Full details of the Brighton to London route can be viewed at the Revolve Eco-Rally website.
The event is billed to be much bigger than last year with many of the latest high-spec, high-tech, and low to zero carbon vehicles being invited to put their ‘green’ cars where their mouth is. And they will have every opportunity to do this as the best green cars from the world’s leading brands travel the 50 mile trip from Brighton to London City Hall (SE1 2AA).
Which green cars are racing or on display at the final destination, City Hall?
Some participants include:
- The Tesla Roadster (often referred to as “the world’s first serious electric car”)
- Lotus most powerful and environmentally-friendly Exige ever built
- Nissan’s fifth-generation fuel cell prototype
- Bi-fuel hydrogen ICE car – from Europe’s largest electrolyser and fuel cell company
- The first four-seater electric cars available in Britain – including the Mitsubishi iMIEV
- The BMW 116d – a new greener version of the 2008 World Green Car winner.
- The Fiat 500 Auto Stop & Go – the 2009 winner of the World Car Design award.
- The most affordable hybrid family car yet.
- The UK’s first electric taxi (Allied Vehicles).
- A municipal rubbish truck that “runs on rubbish” (Gasrec’s biomethane-powered truck)
- Six of the top 10 finalists in the 2009 World Green Car awards.
- The winning car from the What Car? Green Awards
What are the cars powered by? They are only as green as the fuel put in them!
The cars will be fuelled in a number of green ways, including hydrogen, bio-methanol/ethanol and renewable electricity courtesy of Southern Electric, all showing the versatility of the different, environmentally-friendly fuels. Whereas the event was more of a race in preceding years, this year the event is more of a way for the auto industry and energy suppliers to show how practical the vehicles are to drive on a day to day basis. The objective? To inspire people to rethink their transport needs. It is also an opportunity to show everyone how they can cut their own car’s carbon emissions, without it costing the earth.
Who are the Drivers?
The line up for the event is impressive with numerous celebrity drivers also scheduled to participate. Some of these include:
- Zac Goldsmith
- Quentin Willson
- Robert Llewellyn
- Sean Hughes
- Paul Zenon
- Barron Bassam of Brighton (House of Lords Chief Whip – Steve Bassam)
- Jenny Jones AM (Green party)
- Oliver Heath
- Penny Poyzer
- John Surtees
- Lucy Siegle
- Carl Honore
- Tracey Smith
- Iwan Tukalo (ex-international rugby player)
The Mayor of London will be on hand to welcome the end of the race. As a strong advocate of green issues he has said his aim is to cut carbon emissions in London by 60 per cent by 2025 and June the 8th marks London’s Green Car Day. The Mayor commented:
“The Revolve Eco-Rally is a great way to promote the use of less polluting, low carbon transport which I am also championing in the capital. So I am delighted that for the first time, the 2009 Eco-Rally will draw to a triumphant close right outside London’s City Hall”.
City Hall is central to the day’s events; it will host the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LCVP) Conference, welcome the Revolve Eco-Rally and, later in the day, the Mayor’s chamber will be the venue for the What Car? Green Car Awards.
The group of enviro-motorists behind Revolve Eco-Rally has said they’ve done everything possible to make 2009′s Eco-Rally high profile and one to remember. As an independent organization, Revolve is actively encouraging and promoting sustainable forms of transport, including new fuels and technologies, through this type of high-profile event.
Your support is needed
All these innovations that are coming to join the Revolve Eco-Rally this year have one thing in common: the finishing line. The power behind these people to finish is simply more people like you and I; so log onto their site, make space in your diary, or simply by turning up to cheer, you can do your bit to help support Britain’s quest for a sustainable future.
EcoSwitch will be attending the race, sending along Chief Executive William Worthington and correspondent Trisha Gukhool. To read more about the event, read the Revolve Eco-Rally Website.
