This weekend sees the second annual RAC Future Car Challenge take place, with around 70 contestants set to make the 60 mile run between Brighton and London in a challenge that tests, not speed, but energy efficiency.
A host of the latest hybrid electric, fuel cell and low emission combustion cars will take part, with many of the vehicles new prototypes and rarely seen concept cars. Cars include Volkswagen Golf Blue-e-motion, smart fortwo electric, Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt, Toyota Highlander FCEV, Tesla Roadster, Vauxhall Ampera, Delta
E-4 Coupe, Range Rover Range_e, Mercedes Benz Vito E-Cell, Proton Saga EV, SEAT Ibiza and Jaguar E-Type Electric to name a few.
After the huge success of last year’s competition, a host of celebrity drivers have been lined up to drive the low emission models including Red Dwarf star Robert Llewellyn, who will be driving a Toyota Plug-in Prius, Radio DJ Mark Goodier, who will be driving a Nissan Leaf, TV presenter Kevin McCloud, driving the Delta E-4 coupe and land speed record-breaker Don Wales, driving an Auris hybrid.
I will also be heading down to take part in the challenge, accompanying the Daily Telegraph’s motoring editor Andrew English in a Toyota Prius plug-in, so stay tuned to TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk and our twitter account (@greencarwebsite) for all the latest news on how the challenge progresses and news of the final winners.
For those who wish to spectate, the cars depart from Madeira Drive in Brighton on Saturday, November 5 at around 7.30 am, arriving at Pall Mall in London from around 10.30 am onwards before heading on to Regent Street, London for a formal RAC Parade from midday. The overall winner of the event will be announced at 3pm.
The free to see Regent Street Motor Show, run in conjunction with the RAC, will run from 10.30am to 4pm. Designed to celebrate both the Future Car Challenge and the RAC London to Brighton Veteran Car Run (which takes place on Sunday November 6, 2011) the show will be a unique past, present and future pioneering motoring display featuring over three hundred 19th, 20th and 21st Century motor cars.
