A unique rally is set to demonstrate how Scotland is gearing up for a greener future. Promising to be one of the most attention-grabbing events during the global climate change conference in Glasgow this year, the EV Rally Of Scotland (EVROS) will demonstrate the capability of electric vehicles - as well as prove that the infrastructure already exists to support them.
It aims to drive home the fact that EVs are not only fit for small journeys and will showcase how the charging network in Scotland exists even in remote places.
Setting off from Glasgow and coinciding with COP26 in November, the event will involve some of the world’s leading EV manufacturers who will bring their state-of-the-art electric vehicles to tackle a 1200-plus mile cross country “e-tour” of Scotland.
“The fight for a greener future has never been as important as it is today, and EVROS has an important role to play,” said rally organiser Colin Boyton of PSI Group’s GREENFLEET Events.
“E-mobility and the decarbonisation of transport is seen as a key element to help drive the shift towards net zero and the rally has been designed to show that when it comes to EV use, Scotland and the rest of the UK are leading the way. What we are trying to prove is that EVs are not going away and are more than capable of being your everyday family car or your everyday work vehicle, be that car or van.”
Boyton pointed out that the range and the technology of today’s EVs is far superior to the first generation that hit UK roads almost a decade ago and are now more than capable of driving in excess of 200 miles on one charge.
Day three of the rally will, in fact, involve 320 miles of driving and the cars will leave fully charged and only need a small top up somewhere mid-route.
The rally is also intended to highlight that off street parking is not necessary to own an EV. “I am one of the 27% of the UK population that does not have access to off street parking so therefore for me to own an EV I need to be fully reliant on the public charging network,” said Boyton.
“The way we have structured this rally is that there will be no overnight charging for any of the vehicles involved so the drivers and co-drivers will have to plan their routes every day and stop and charge where they need to. That will highlight how well Transport Scotland has put together the charge point network in order to make this kind of driving viable.
“We are proving that even if you don’t have access to off street parking you can still live and work with an EV every day, using the charging that already exists and which is only going to get better.”
Efficiency rather than speed is the rally watchword as efficient driving maximises the potential of an EV. With more than 30-years of driver training experience under his belt, ‘EV Keith’, an instructor from DriveTech, will navigate the Rally in a VW ID.3, setting the bar for those that might want to have a go at challenging his considerable skills.
As well as stopping at EV charge points and clean energy projects at key locations over the five days, the rally will also take in some of Scotland’s most scenic locations. “Participants will stop at each checkpoint, take a picture and share it across the various social media platforms, using pre-defined #hashtags, to spread the word that EVs are here, they’re viable and are future-proofing the world we live in,” said Boyton.
“It’s a really good opportunity for those involved to put out some very positive messages and that is what we intend to do.” The rally will also feature special interviews from some of the UK’s leading EV enthusiasts and innovators.
Between the group’s own social media accounts, those of the participating sponsors and media partners, The Herald, the organisers are expecting well in excess of 600,000 followers on Twitter, more than 500,000 on Instagram and around 400,000 on LinkedIn.
The organisers are inviting EV enthusiasts to join in the fun, meet them at the checkpoints, chat to the drivers and help spread the word.
evros.uk
This article was brought to you in association with the EV Rally of Scotland
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