Britain’s first eco car race - By: Gareth Hoyle1

People who are looking to compare car insurance may be interested to hear about an event claiming to be the first eco car road race in Britain, giving an insight into the potential future of car ownership1.
The RAC Brighton to London Future Car Challenge took place for the first time on Saturday 6th November 2010. It was a new motoring challenge for electric, hybrid and low-emission cars, LCVs and motorcycles, the point of the Challenge being to use as little energy as possible rather than be the first to cross the finish line. The full, 60 mile route was from Madeira Drive in Brighton to Pall Mall and Regent Street in London2.
More than 60 ultra-modern cars came together for the first time. Among those contesting the race were celebrities such as Pink Floyd drummer, Nick Mason, as well as the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally winner, Paddy Hopkirk.

The race results did not make clear which technology, out of electric cars, hydrogen fuel cell cars, hybrids and cars with conventional internal combustion engines, was best.

However, as the race got underway, it became evident that the cars taking part had much greater fuel efficiency than cars of the past, as they delivered the kinds of performances that were unheard of in any type of car until very recently. Among these eye-catching performances were those of the electric Mini belonging to Aston Martin chairman, David Richards and the T.25 prototype of Professor Gordon Murray3.

The cars arrived at the Royal Automobile Club in London's Pall Mall at around noon where their energy consumption was measured, the big surprise for many drivers being just how little energy their cars had consumed.

The organisers are only set to release exact comparative data of the performances of the various participants later in the week. However, it is thought that very few, if any, of the participating cars used more than a gallon of diesel or the equivalent amount of electricity.

The winner of the category for cars with conventional internal combustion engines, for example, a BMW 320d, had a fuel bill of just £3.66, despite carrying TV equipment and four adults for much of the route4.

However, despite the fact that there is every sign that the production cars of the future will have very low running costs, concerns remain about whether the price of ultra-low carbon automobiles will substantially reduce over time as a result of mass production.

About the Author

Charlotte Walker writes for MediaVest (Manchester) on a number of motor related topics, including ways to compare car insurance .

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