Barry Shrier is the charismatic and passionate promoter of entrepreneurial innovation - he is also the founder and CEO of Liberty Electric Cars. Liberty Electric Cars was established to respond to the rapidly expanding demand for zero and low emission cars. The company is investing £30 million in the re engineering of large luxury cars and 4×4s into emission-free, high performance electric vehicles.

TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk: You have recently reached an exclusive agreement with ecurie25 that will provide the car club’s members with unique access to the world’s first zero emission electric Range Rover. How important a step is this in showing the public that they do not have to relinquish performance when seeking an environmentally-friendly method of transport?

Barry Shrier: It is important because it demonstrates that zero emission technology is here today, and can deliver the same levels of performance, refinement and prestige that people have come to expect from luxury cars.

TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk: Do you believe that the British Government and/or the European Union are doing enough to support electric car innovators?

Barry Shrier: No. That’s why we have launched the Liberty Zero Emission Vehicle Foundation.

Consumers and businesses are increasingly more concerned about global warming and climate change, and market demand for zero emission electric cars is developing rapidly. As a result, a whole new technology base needs to emerge quickly, to keep pace with social and legislative change.

Liberty Electric Cars recognises that a significant challenge to turn innovative zero emission ideas into volume production rests with the industry’s first tier of component suppliers. The purpose of the Liberty Zero Emission Vehicle Foundation is to raise awareness, and attract funds and investment into this sector from private and public sources. It will accelerate the market introduction of zero emission vehicle technologies, over what can be achieved by global market forces alone.

There is a great wealth of UK automotive engineering ingenuity and innovation that can lead the world in the newly emerging zero emission vehicle space. However, a major and rapid ‘environmental technology’ shift across the entire industry is a significant challenge for suppliers looking to develop prototypes into volume production – made even more difficult in the current credit crunch climate. The Zero Emission Vehicle Foundation is the catalyst that will enable the leading technology innovators to get the support they need.

The Foundation’s board is chaired by Lord Anthony St John of Bletso, and will include other prominent figures from the automotive industry, the sciences, Government and the private sector.

It brings component suppliers and vehicle manufacturers together, to create the right connections, through its quarterly meetings. The Foundation is attracting funding from large corporations that have a vested interest in the earliest possible arrival of zero emission driving. It will also co ordinate with the Technology Strategy Board, which is set to launch the Low Carbon Vehicles Integrated Delivery Programme, backed by £70 million of Government investment.

TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk: You spent some time at this year’s Eden Project ‘Green’ Car Show. Did this experience help you to further understand the British motorists’ attitude towards electric vehicles?

Barry Shrier: Yes. Given that visitors to the show are among the most informed, and most concerned about reducing the environmental impact of driving, we carried out a number of focus group interviews. We discovered that environmentally aware car buyers will pay a premium of up to 30 per cent for truly zero emission driving.

Sixty-five per cent of respondents said that they would be prepared to pay up to 30 per cent more, for a zero emission electric car which addresses global warming by eliminating car exhaust. However 45 per cent said that they would not be willing to downsize to a small ‘city’ car with less performance, in order to go ‘green’.

The product development message is clear. As car buyers move to more environmentally-friendly technologies they want the best of both worlds; cars that deliver on performance, safety, functionality and style, without the high cost to the environment.

Fifty-five per cent expected an electric car to have a driving range greater than 100 miles. The Liberty Electric Range Rover will travel for over 200 miles.

When asked what would be the ‘clean’ fuel of the future, electric power was most people’s first choice.

TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk: Is electricity a viable solution to fossil fuels?

Barry Shrier: In terms of zero emission driving, electrical power provides a solution today, which is what everyone wants. There are issues surrounding the supply from renewable sources and infrastructure but we feel that growing demand for electrically powered vehicles will uncover early solutions, quickly.

TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk: From an early age, children are taught to “Stop, Look, and Listen”. How does the advent of electric cars affect the important third aspect of the Green Cross Code and what plans do Liberty Electric Cars have to remedy this?

Barry Shrier: Pedestrian safety is an issue that we and all other manufacturers take very seriously. Electric cars are quiet, that’s a fact. Social, cultural and even legislative changes may need to reflect this, as we move forward. Let’s not forget that when cars arrived on our roads, they were lead by men waving red flags.

TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk: Do you expect to see retail outlets for electric charging across the country, and if so, how soon do you see this happening?

Barry Shrier: Our electric Range Rover runs for over two hundred miles between charges, which means today’s existing domestic supply infrastructure is sufficient for most users. However, as more and more electric cars take to the roads, there will be a growth in charging solutions. There is no reason why this should be limited to conventional retail/forecourt thinking. New ideas such as induction charging in car park and unique ‘plug in’ stations will develop to meet demand – there is very little new or challenging in distributing electrical power, unlike say hydrogen!

TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk: Where do you see the electric car, in regards to the UK motor industry, in 10, 20 and 50 years’ time?

Barry Shrier: We believe electrical energy will provide the power for people’s vehicle needs in the near future because it is a technology that we can embrace now. There are other technologies such solar and fuel cell power, which may have an impact further into the future but they are some way off, and may develop as ‘hybrid’ systems alongside electricity.

TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk: How do you, as CEO of Liberty Electric Cars, plan to become and remain a leader in electric car innovation during what is certain to become an exciting and competitive market?

Barry Shrier: Our energy storage, management and propulsion technology is extremely advanced and exclusive to Liberty Electric Cars.

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