EVito wins most Efficient and Environmentally Friendly Multi Purpose Vehicle award
NVN EVITO Taxi beats competition in RAC Future Car Challenge
The EVito Taxi, a collaborative project with 5 UK niche vehicle companies, joined more than 60 eco-friendly vehicles to complete the first RAC Brighton to London Future Car Challenge on Saturday 6 November. For the crowds of London on a Saturday afternoon, to see so many electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles and low emission conventional vehicles must have seemed like a window into the future of motoring.
Former Dragon’s Den star Richard Farleigh saw off the entrants on Saturday morning on Madeira Drive, Brighton as Zytek managing director Neil Heslington found himself lined up against amongst such well-known motoring celebrities –as Quentin Wilson (TV presenter), Nick Mason (Pink Floyd), Don Wales (UK Electric Land Speed Record holder) and Paddy Hopkirk and David Richards (rally drivers).
Cars began arriving at the finish in Pall Mall from just after 11.00am before moving on to the special ceremonial finish in Regent Street where they joined a display of pre-1905 motor cars in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run International Concourse displayed before an estimated 250,000 audience.
The event was staged, promoted and judged in three categories – Electric, Hybrid and Internal Combustion Engine. Within each category, entries were measured in various modes for the energy used during the drive from Madeira Drive, Brighton, to Pall Mall, London. The challenge was to complete the event with the least energy impact.
Each of the 17 category winners received an engraved Royal Automobile Club trophy and the overall winner received the coveted Royal Automobile Club Gold Medal. There was also an award for the best private entry and each classified finisher received a Club medal and certificate.
Overall winner, Jim Holder of What Car?, driving a Volkswagen Golf blue-e-motion, said: “It’s been a fantastic event. Volkswagen UK is delighted and a little surprised to have won overall, as am I. This car does not go into production for another two years so it was wonderful to win on its UK debut. I think the whole event shows just what the motoring industry can achieve.”
Neil Heslington, who received the Most Economic & Environment Friendly Multi-Purpose Electric vehicle driving the NVN sponsored Zytek Mercedes-Benz Vito Taxi, said: “It was a smooth ride in the Taxi and we enjoyed taking part in this first RAC Brighton to London Future Car Challenge. Zytek is committed to continuing to collaborate with niche vehicle companies to take this technology forward. The team and I are incredibly proud of how the taxi performed on the day”.
The EVito Taxi project was completed by partners Zytek, Penso, Vocis Graziano and Valence and part funded by the Advantage Niche Vehicle Programme. The Advantage Niche Vehicle Programme is sponsored by Advantage West Midlands and managed by Cenex, Centre of Excellence in Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies.
RAC Brighton to London Future Car Challenge:
Trophies:<
A1 – Most Economic Small Passenger EV – TATA Motors Ltd, TATA Indica Vista Electric (Simon Clarke)
A2 – Most Economical & Environment Friendly Small Passenger EV – TATA Motors Ltd, TATA Indica Vista Electric (Simon Clarke)
B1 – None
B2 – None
C1 – Most Economical Small Passenger ICEV – Gordon Murray Designs Ltd, T.25 City Car (Gordon Murray)
C2 – Most Economical & Environment Friendly Small Passenger ICEV – Gordon Murray Designs Ltd, T.25 City Car (Gordon Murray)
D2 – Most Economic & Environment Friendly Regular Passenger EV – Volkswagen Golf blue-e-motion Electric (Jim Holder)>
E2 – Most Economic & Environment Friendly Regular Passenger HEV - Toyota Auris Hybrid (Matt Sanger)
F2 – Most Economic & Environment Friendly Regular Passenger ICEV – BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics Diesel (David Ward)
K2 – Most Economic & Environment Friendly Sports EV – Lotus Elise S1 Electric (Russ Sciville)
L2 – Most Economic & Environment Friendly Sports HEV – Honda UK – Honda CR-Z Hybrid (Edd China/Dan Roberts)
N2 – Most Economic & Environment Friendly Multi-Purpose Electric vehicle – Zytek Mercedes-Benz Vito Taxi Electric (Neil Heslington)
R – Most Economic Light Commercial EV – Nicholson McLaren Citroen Nemo Van Electric (Neil McIntree)
T – Most Economic Light Commercial ICEV – Ford Fiesta Van 1.6TDCi ECOnetic Diesel (Jay Nagley)
The Public Choice – Vauxhall Ampera Extended Range EV – (Andrew Duerden)
Best Overall Private Entry As Chosen By The Event Judges – Lotus Elise S1 Electric (Russ Sciville)
Best Overall Entry As Chosen By The Event Judges – Volkswagen Golf blue-e-motion Electric (Jim Holder)
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