OXFORDSHIREELECTRIC

VEHICLECONSORTIUM

Our journey towards a cleanerfuture for Oxfordshire

WELCOME ... yOUR jOURNEy STaRTS HERE

About this journey

Welcome to this, our introduction to the OEVC Consortium.

We invite you to embark on a brief journey through this document, by navigating through the various sections using the button headings at the bottom of each page.

This main document will give you a general insight into our views and aspirations, and where you see these signs ...

... you can click to open a separate document,or show / hide additional information

“Why are we doing this?”

To explain the pollution and congestion reasons for e-mobility, and encourage like-minded organisations to join us on the Journey.

We want to make Oxford an exemplar city by building upon the good work already done by developing new business cases fore-mobility.

THE jOURNEy SO FaR

The inaugural meeting of the Oxfordshire Electric Vehicle Consortium (OEVC) was held in Oxford on 4th October 2010, which was a major staging post in the journey towards a cleaner future in Oxfordshire.

This event attracted more than 60 local and international organisations from the business, government and academic sectors and led to a bid for charging infrastructure funding to the Department of Transport’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles. The founding partners – Oxford Brookes University, Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council are committed to build on this momentum and deliver our vision for Oxfordshire to become ‘An exemplar region for improved air quality through establishing a self-sustaining market for all types of Electric Vehicles and other Low Carbon mobility solutions’.

click to see PowerPoint

The inaugural meeting of OEVC identified a significant number of innovative e-mobility & e-infrastructure projects and the priorities were incorporated into the Oxfordshire Blue Plugged-In Places bid in November 2010. Although funding wasn’t awarded to Oxfordshire on this occasion, these projects continue to be developed by private enterprise, the councils and Oxford Brookes University. The aim of this document is to continue and sustain the dialogue with all those who attended the meeting and to introduce new recruits to the cause of achieving our low carbon vision for Oxfordshire.

BMW Group’s decision to embark on a real life trial of the MINI E fully electric vehicle in Oxfordshire and the South East of England, was a significant starting point on the journey.

From December 2009, the MINI E UK Field Trial researched and analysed the use of 40 MINI Es and was one of the first of the Technology Strategy Board’s Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator Programmes. The MINI E UK Research Consortium, led by BMW Group also included Scottish and Southern Energy, Oxford Brookes University, the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) as well as Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council.

The findings are being used in the engineering and infrastructure support of mass-produced electric vehicles and have helped to establish the social and economic issues and aspects of running an electric car. In addition, this trial has provided Oxfordshire with a legacy of a network of public charging points.

This project is aimed at making people aware of the new developments in electric vehicles and at identifying specific business cases, which will accelerate their early adoption. Six organisations in five European regions joined forces within the E-mobility accelerator project during April 2010. These regions are Andalucia (Spain), Malopolska (Poland), Noord-Brabant (The Netherlands), Uppsala (Sweden) and Oxfordshire (UK).

Together the partners are addressing the question “how can we accelerate electromobility in our region”. Furthermore, they are exchanging the knowledge and expertise already available in the regions to overcome common issues, such as air quality, traffic congestion in and around cities and how to benefit from new technologies. This work converges with the aims of OEVC and E-mobility’s lead organisation, Oxford Brookes University is developing the business case for electric vehicles within the low carbon community.

The 2011 Eco-Rally took place on Sunday 31st July, this year starting from Broad Street, Oxford and finishing at The Mall in London.

The rally is a convoy of low and zero emission vehicles and this year’s event culminated with a green transport exhibition.

Many car manufacturers participated including Mitsubishi, Volvo, Aston Martin, Lotus, Nissan, Ford, Tesla and Honda, as well as a host of celebs who were driving the vehicles. With Oxford Brookes University, Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire Council as Official Partners in 2011, the Eco-Rally provided a major opportunity to heighten public awareness about the importance of reducing CO2 emissions and of the growing availability of electric and other low carbon vehicles.

The founding partners Oxford Brookes University, Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council have set out on the journey and have engaged with car manufacturers business & government organisations and other European partners.

If you are interested in joining OEVC on this journey, please complete and return the feedback form at the end of the document.

THE BMW MINI E PROjECTThe MINI E is a fully electric vehicle operating in key potential electric vehicle markets globally. During everyday usage, the MINI E can travel around 100-120 miles (up to 156 miles in ideal conditions) on a single charge, depending on driving style and conditions, and of course, has the all the characteristic performance for which the MINI is famous. It can sprint from 0-62mph in just 8.5 seconds and hasan electronically-limited top speed of 95mph.

The MINI E UK Field Trial researched and analysed the use of 40 MINI Es on UK roads between December 2009 and March 2011.

The MINI E UK Research Consortium, of which BMW Group was the lead partner, comprised several organisations based around Oxford and the South-East of England. All played important roles in the collaborative field trial. In addition to the BMW Group, the consortium included Scottish and Southern Energy, which supplied both the electricity and the electrical infrastructure, Oxford Brookes University and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) as well as Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council. The MINI E UK trial was one of the first of the Technology Strategy Board’s Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator Programmes.

During the UK trial the MINI E was tested on British roads by a mixture of around 100 private, corporate and public sector drivers – all of whom gave valuable feedback to the project consortium and UK Government. Between them they covered in excess of 250,000 miles over the duration of the trial. The findings are being used in the engineering and infrastructure support of mass-produced electric vehicles and have helped to establish the social and economic issues and aspects of running an electric car.

THE BMW MINI E PROjECT

The MINI E activity has helped to inform the thinking of BMW’s Project i future mobility think tank – conceived to research and develop individual mobility strategies and new types of vehicles and services for sustainable mobility. As well as in the UK, MINI E trials have also been conducted in the USA and Germany, and are ongoing in France, China and Japan.

The deployment of a further development electric vehicle, the BMW ActiveE, based on the 1 Series Coupe, also paves the way for the introduction of a new sub-brand, BMW i. BMW i offers visionary cars and services, inspiring design, and an entirely new concept of premium mobility – all with a focus on sustainability. The BMW i3, a premium all-electric urban vehicle, and the i8, which blends the sporting ability of a high performance machine with the fuel consumption and emissions of a small car through plug-in hybrid drive, are due to begin production in 2013. Both vehicles are based on a revolutionary new vehicle architecture.

Rollover thumbnails

2011 ECO RaLLyOEVC Partners Oxford Brookes University, Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council were proud to be official partners of the 2011 Eco-Rally ... Oxford to London. OEVC fully supported the event, and is looking forward 2012

For a flavour of what took place last year, please rollover the thumbnail images below

See Press release

E-MOBILITy aCCELERaTOR PROjECT

The project will follow an ‘hour glass’ structure - shared, local, shared. The partners start with sharing the status quo of their region, followed by jointly building new knowledge and expertise through field trips and a study to fill common knowledge gaps. The partners will then work on business cases. The project partnership has opted for a regional approach for the development of the business cases. The regions will make use of the knowledge transferred and gained within the project and will use this knowledge to build business cases fitting the regional circumstances. The regional business cases will be used as input for the development of regional and European policy recommendations.

The overall aim of the E-mobility accelerator project is to define common strategy and policy recommendations to accelerate successful market implementation of electric vehicles in the participating regions. To achieve this goal, the project has four sub-goals:

SUCCESS FaCTORS

SHaRED DEVELOPMENTShared development of sustainable regional business cases for market implementation, based on these factors.

RECOMMENDaTIONSRegional and international policy and strategy recommendations based on these business cases.

DISSEMINaTIONDissemination of these recommendations to policy makers and to actors from the automotive industry.

Identification of common key success factors to move beyond pilot projects towards market implementation.

It seems that everyone has to have an opinion on electro mobility these days. Simply put there are three groups; Those who believe that electric vehicles are a solution to a more clean and quiet future, those who don’t believe electro mobility will ever fulfil our need for lower carbon emissions and lastly, the biggest group, people who are not at all familiar with these new developments.E-Mob, short for electro mobility accelerator, is one of the many projects that are trying to make this last group a bit smaller. Six organisations in five European regions have joined forces within the E-Mob project, funded through the POWER programme. These regions are: Andalucía (Spain), Malopolska (Poland), Noord-Brabant (The Netherlands), Oxfordshire & South East England (UK) and Uppsala (Sweden). We are taking small steps ahead, beyond our regional pilot projects towards a successful introduction of electric vehicles to the market.Partner Visits: Knowledge & ExpertiseAt the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011, the E-Mob partners visited Brabant, Malaga and Oxford. The programmes contained a combination of company visits, the most inspiring local examples of electric vehicles and informative lectures and presentations. An interesting observation is that all partners have in common, city centres offering a rich heritage of historical elements. By cherishing what we have and embracing what is new and vital for economic and environmental development, our regions learn from their past, but keep their eyes strongly focused on the future.Insights gained during Partner Visits1) Developing a long term strategy is vital to solve air pollution and traffic congestion problems.2) Setting challenging goals for both industry and politics will help shape the future.3) A practical approach with measurable parameters is the key to success.4) Identifying the target audience and focusing on proving the business case is vital5) Making money through investment in green business is possible by applying traditional knowledge in a new industry.Benchmark Cases for E-MobilityNew information and experiences collected during the E-Mob project gave the Partners a head start in developing a regional business case. Advancing the implementation of electric mobility will only be possible when taking into account local regulations and attitudes towards electric vehicles. Different solutions require different approaches and currently E-Mob is focusing on business cases in the following three areas:1) The Tourist Industry – inviting tourists to use electric transportation. 2) City Distribution – presenting the city dynamics for the future by using clean and quiet technologies in cites with historic centres.3) Flexible and Sustainable Transportation Options – combining public and private transportation with several green energy sources, such as solar energy and new charging methods such as inductive charging.

E-MOBILITy aCCELERaTOR ... TEaMING UP TO aCCELERaTE

PaRTNERS

WHO aRE OUR PaRTNERS ...

Partnership has been the key ingredient in the successful achievement of our progress thus far. There has been a great deal of time, money, research and development into the technologies and behaviours that will deliver a cleaner and more sustainable future.

Our existing Partners are highlighted and their interests and aspirations can be viewed by clicking the logos to the left.

There are many ways for you to join us on this journey, so if you wish to partner with us please register your interest on the feedback form.

WHOOxford Brookes University occupies a strong position in UK higher education. We have a sound and growing international reputation for the quality of our teaching, learning and research and we are a vital part of and contributor to the local and national economy and society. One of our founding principles was a clear focus on the needs of the local community and initiatives such as the OEVC allow us to contribute to the ambition of sustainable mobility for this region.

The Sustainable Vehicle Enginering Centre (SVEC) is driving innovation to create effective, affordable, energy and resource-efficient transport. It deals with (i) forecasting, strategy and the implications of legislation (ii) life-cycle analysis and end-of-life (iii) development of sustainable technologies (iv) electric vehicle introduction and e-mobility research (v) infrastructure, personal mobility and transport.

WHaTSVEC is concerned with current and future challenges facing the international automotive industry. Our research deals with the whole life-cycle of the motor vehicle from raw materials to design, drive-train, energy sources, manufacture, disassembly, re-use of components and recycling of materials. The starting point for this is a comprehensive understanding and analysis of global markets and our reports on forecasting global automotive trends, especially whole life vehicle waste streams, have been welcomed by government and industry.

The worldwide move towards the introduction of electric vehicles requires a combination of technical development, real-world trials, policy changes, market incentives and the influencing of consumer attitudes and behaviour. The UK MINI E trial, together with those taking place in other key global markets, represent the largest EV customer test fleet in the world. Robust real-word findings about driving patterns and vehicle operating behaviour are informing technical requirements for: energy density, storage and management; recharging; range; drive-train development for optimal power and efficiency; purpose-designed EV architecture. Optimisation of these factors will help with broader acceptance of EVs as a credible alternative to fossil-fuelled vehicles. Presentations and vehicle driving experiences have been held at relevant events and conferences, such as those organised by Cenex, Green Fleet, RAC and Oxford’s Venturefest. Tangible demonstrations of MINI E have been provided to show that ‘electromobility is fun’.

OTHERSVEC is a member of the SMMT’s EV Group and this forum provides an excellent platform to continue to influence the market and technical development of EVs. SVEC is the UK partner in a pan-European project called E-Mobility Accelerator and business cases are being examined in UK, Holland, Sweden, Poland and Spain. BMW, SSE and Oxford City Council are supporting various aspects of the project.

... OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITy

WHOHaloIPT is a technology development company pioneering a new way of wirelessly charging electric vehicles. By using Inductive Power Transfer, any car fitted with HaloIPT technology will charge automatically when parked over transmitter pads: no plugs, no fuss, just wireless.

WHaTInductive Power Transfer technology has been developed by HaloIPT to charge a vehicle’s batteries without wires. The system uses two pads; a transmitter pad set into the ground, and a receiver pad, which fits underneath the vehicle. Both pads are roughly the size and thickness of a doormat. The transmitter pad is activated when a receiver pad is nearby, and power is wirelessly transferred to the vehicle battery without the need to make any manual adjustments. Power can be transmitted across large air gaps and the two pads do not need to be in direct alignment to work, as there is superb tolerance to misalignment in any direction, which negates the need for drivers to carefully park directly over the pad.

IPT technology has been used by HaloIPT licensees worldwide for more than two decades, in materials handling, auto assembly, factory automation and clean room robotics. IPT technology is commonly used to recharge electric toothbrushes and to power induction cookers.

OTHER

HaloIPT owns the rights to the intellectual property of its IPT wireless charging technology, and has a patent portfolio of 15 worldwide patents and growing. HaloIPT delivers stationary charging and in future, will also be providing dynamic in-motion charging.

... HaloIPT... SSE

WHOSSE (Scottish and Southern Energy) is a UK based energy company supplying electricity and gas as well as providing infrastructure and contracting services.

WHaTAs well as being the most broad based energy utility in the UK, we are the largest generator of renewable energy. We have over 11 GW of generation capacity of which over 2G is renewable. We supply electricity and gas throughout the UK and operate distribution networks in the north of Scotland and south central England. We are also one of the largest electrical contracting groups in the UK.

In the context of OEVC, SSE was a key member of the MINI E consortium, installing EV recharging points in and around Oxford as well ad the MINI E drivers homes. As a result, SSE is experienced in the installation and operation of EV charging points.

... OXFORDSHIRE COUNTy COUNCIL

WHOOxfordshire County Council works to deliver a thriving Oxfordshire built on maximising growth, enhancing the environment and sharing wealth. To do this we work with other local authorities and the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Low Carbon Oxford as well as the Oxfordshire Electric Vehicle Consortium.

WHaTAs a local authority, our approach is to facilitate the emergence of more effective markets connecting well informed and motivated consumers with the new supply chains delivering the low carbon products increasingly demanded by those consumers. Overcoming barriers and implementing particular projects (including the introduc-tion of hybrid buses in Oxford, providing vehicle charging points around the city and taking part in the e-mini trial with BMW) are both designed to help make these markets function more effectively.

In the future, we’re looking to support electric delivery vehicles and more electric/hybrid public transport around the county, as well as potentially introducing more charging points in strategic areas.

Involvement in the Oxford to London Eco-Rally, Venturefest and the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership provides a platform for raising the profile of Oxfordshire’s involvement in low carbon transport and its potential to develop skills, jobs and collaborations between the public and private sectors, that will contribute to economic development in Oxfordshire.

... OXFORD CITy COUNCIL

WHO WHaTOxford City has been recognised nationally for taking a lead through a series of initiatives to reduce in-house emissions, and partnerships in the wider community. We are looking to develop local solutions and taking an integrated approach in tackling climate change and other important environmental issues such as air quality. The City is developing a low emission strategy for this purpose.

A low Emission Zone has been declared for 2014, when all public service vehicles in the city will be required to meet higher emission standards, and help to meet air quality objectives.

Low Carbon Oxford is a pioneering city-wide programme of collaboration between private, public and non-profit organisations with the aim of ensuring Oxford’s future as a sustainable and low carbon city.The objectives are:

To reduce the overall carbon emissions of the city by 3% year on year – achieving an 80% reduction by 2050,

The creation of more ‘green jobs’ and a sustainable economy,

For Oxford to become an exe emplar low carbon city for the UK.

We believe that these common goals can only be achieved by working together and drawing on the strengths of different sector organisations.

The Low Carbon Oxford Charter states that we are committed to working together to create a low carbon, sustainable Oxford and that we will work to ensure that Oxford’s leadership in reducing carbon emissions and tackling climate change is widely recognised.

Oxford City Council provides local government for the City of Oxford. We have a vision for a cleaner, greener and more sustainable City, as one of our five corporate priorities, working towards becoming a carbon-neutral city.

THE FUTURE

The consensus within the scientific community confirms that excessive greenhouse gas emissions, caused by the day-to-day activities of human beings, has led to global warming with the resultant effects on climate change. Furthermore, without concerted action by the world’s peoples and governments, it is clear that the problems caused by global warming and increasing levels of noxious gas emissions will cause further damage to the environment and human health.The city of Oxford and surrounding area suffers from road congestion and poor air quality. With a highly valued built environment, a young and intelligent population profile and large numbers of students and visitors there are compelling reasons to take action. The Oxfordshire EV Consortium’s vision is to become an exemplar region for improved air quality. The path of least resistance to this vision is to work together with the business community, the universities, schools and colleges, the public sector and local and national government to establish a self-sustaining low carbon economy and community. Global technological developments and legislation are providing new opportunities to change our habits and behaviours in terms of living and mobility. OEVC is committed to work and share knowledge with all parties interested in contributing towards the achievement of our vision, particularly in the field of mobility and sustainable transport. The motor car is still the preferred mode of transport for the vast majority of the population and Oxfordshire has a major interest in the continued successful development of the automotive sector in terms of economic benefit as well as mobility.

The global motor industry is worth ~10% GDP. If we add the essential elements of the built environment, infrastructure and associated technologies, the value of the activity is probably double this, accounting for 20% of global GDP. The low carbon economy demands that more energy-efficient alternative forms of transport are developed, which may involve different energy sources and vehicle drivetrain.The main consensus of opinion currently is that electric drivetrain provides a better route to reducing energy use and emissions. However, is this the best approach?

• Therearemanyalternativeenergyanddrivetrainchoices.• Thereishugeresistancetochangeandthereareverylargebehaviourchangestobeaccommodated.• Therearelargeglobalregionaldifferencesintermsofresourcesandenergyavailable,andaffordability.

The education requirements for future designers of vehicles, factories and systems will be different to the past, because the future promises far greater complexity.We need to work internationally to share knowledge and best practice, especially in Europe, the USA and in the emerging markets (or countries in transition) including China and India. Future growth in the motor industry will take place in the emerging markets. However, with Oxfordshire’s successful history in the motor industry and with our successful engagement and proximity to Formula 1 teams and the motorsport sector, we are well placed to identify and implement the optimum solutions for our environment.

With our reputation and track record of achievement in the fields of education and health, we have the knowledge, skills and will to establish and sustain a low carbon economy and community in Oxfordshire.

Roads to the FutureWhat of the future? Motorisation will undoubtedly be driven by reductions in carbon levels. Legislation is already in place throughout the European Union that specifies levels of carbon emissions to be met in the future. This applies in particular to transport and to motor vehicles. Alternatively fuelled vehicles, especially electric vehicles, are a major part of the low carbon solution.Oxfordshire, as in the rest of the United Kingdom, already has saturation levels of vehicle ownership. Low carbon vehicles will steadily take the place of petrol and diesel products, along with the building of the infrastructure necessary to allow their operation. The OEVC project is concerned with ensuring the economic and timely transition to a low carbon future: for all our sakes.What of the future? We need to be prepared to meet the challenges presented by the Low Carbon programme. Legislation is already in place throughout the European Union that commits the United Kingdom to reducing carbon emissions. The targets are tough and apply in particular to transport and motor vehicles, which will affect the future of motorisation.The future mobility model acknowledges that individual mobility is essential to economic activity and well-being. However, future mobility could encompass a number of different modes of transport available to users. A major pillar of future transport in an urban or suburban context lies in ‘usership’, rather than ownership, in that individuals could subscribe to a monthly tariff for access to a wide variety of different forms of transport. This might be viewed as a type of mobility club membership. Users could take advantage of trying a wide variety of up-to-date forms of mobility, from buses to electric cars and from cycles to electric scooters. Access, booking and integration would be facilitated by electronic communication through mobile phone devices.

Next Steps on the Journey

The Oxfordshire EV Consortium will establish a Strategy Board, under the leadership of Oxford Brookes University, to generate ideas, share knowledge, assess opportunities and provide direction towards the achievement of our vision. The Strategy Board will be drawn from business, academic and government leaders, who are willing and able to contribute towards the establishment of a low carbon economy and community. The early focus of the Board will be on E-Mobility, Infrastructure, Behaviour Change Education, Local and Inward Investment. It will also cooperate with the Local Enterprise Partnership and other groups within Oxfordshire with converging interests.

OEVC will also establish an Executive Team to assist in the implementation of e-mobility and infrastructure projects. Future activities of this team are likely to include marketing communications, PR, conferences & seminars and fund raising. This team will be drawn from the organisations directly involved in delivering or enabling the specific projects highlighted by the Strategy Board.Therefore, if you are interested in joining the Strategy Board or have a project to bring to the table then please indicate your preference on our feedback form.

FEEDBaCKInterested ? ... Tell us what you think ! ... Contact us !

If you would like to find out more about who we are and what we do, please contact us ... details below

If you would like to comment further on any of the initiatives outlined throughout this publication, or would like to answer a few questions ... please complete the form opposite.

Upon completion, click the submit button which will launch your e-mail account, and the data will be attached to your email.

All submissions will be in strict confidence !

2. In which particular aspect of this OEVC initiative are you most interested ?

1. What sector of the Sustainable Energy sector do you believe to be the most important ?

3. How would you like to get involved ?

4. What could you contribute ?

5. Do you have ideas that could be commercialised ?

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Michaella Maryon, Smarts

0121 456 3199

The 2011 Bridgestone Eco-Rally in association with Start back by popular demand

·

· Bridgestone Eco-Rally returns for the 5th year running

· The event features a new route from Oxford to The Mall, London

· Showcase of the world’s best eco-friendly vehicles

· Hi-res images available at http://bit.ly/jBa4uq

The Bridgestone Eco-Rally in association with Start returns this year with a new route and even more of the world’s

best eco-friendly vehicles taking part.

The 2011 Bridgestone Eco-Rally will take place on Sunday 31st July, this year starting from Broad Street, Oxford and

finishing at The Mall in London, with a pitstop at the BRE Innovation Centre in Watford. The rally is a convoy of low

and zero emission vehicles. This year’s event culminates with a free to attend, green transport exhibition, coinciding

with Start’s Summer Programme. Start, is an initiative inspired by HRH The Prince of Wales to promote and

celebrate eco-friendly living. This summer, Start will continue to demonstrate the simple steps that everyone can take

towards a more sustainable lifestyle with a series of exhibitions and events including a pop-up restaurant* at

Lancaster House on The Mall and a sustainable gardening display in the gardens of Clarence House, the London

residence of TRH The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.

Many car manufacturers have already signed up to this year’s Bridgestone Eco-Rally including Mitsubishi, Volvo,

Aston Martin, Lotus, Nissan, Ford, Tesla and Honda which will be providing the press car for the event, as well as a

host of celebs who’ll be driving the vehicles. The names of the celebrities will be revealed at a later date.

Andy Dingley from Bridgestone said; “Following the success of last year’s event, Bridgestone is delighted to be

involved again with this year’s Eco-Rally. It is a fantastic event which showcases the vehicles of the future and really

shows off the versatility of the different, environmentally-friendly options out there. Bridgestone is committed to

reducing the impact of motoring on the environment for current and future generations and this year’s Bridgestone

Eco-Rally is set to be bigger and better than ever.”

The Eco-Rally event has been supported by luminaries from the worlds of politics, entertainment, sport and the arts,

such as Boris Johnson, Quentin Willson, Chris Huhne, Kevin McCloud, Lucy Siegle, and F1 drivers Eddie Irvine and

Nico Hulkenberg amongst others.

The event is organised by Revolve, an organisation committed to accelerating the market for zero emission

transport. Spokesperson Steven Glaser said; “Our research last year showed almost a quarter of people in the UK

would not consider buying or driving an eco-friendly vehicle and of that number, almost half (43%) believe electric

and hydrogen-powered cars and motorbikes would be a hassle to fill up or charge.

“However, every year the technology moves on and the offering to consumers becomes ever more real. This year’s

event promises to be a different proposition with even more groundbreaking vehicles – including two, three, four and

even 6-wheelers – together with a fresh route and iconic landmarks as backdrops to add an exciting new twist.”

The event has had huge support over the past five years from almost the entire global car industry. Previous

participants include the Tesla electric sports car, the electric MINI, Ginetta, bio-fuelled sports cars from Lotus and

fuel-cell powered prototypes as well as mainstream hybrids and F1 KERS style technology from the likes of Honda,

Lexus and Toyota.

This year’s Bridgestone Eco-Rally in association with Start will showcase the very latest concepts and low emission

technology for the masses. For more information about the Bridgestone Eco-Rally, please visit www.eco-rally.org.

For more information about Start, please visit www.startuk.org

Ends

Issued on behalf of Revolve and Bridgestone UK, www.bridgestone.co.uk by Smarts. For further information call Jennie Ludford or Michaella Maryon at Smarts on 0121 456 3199 or email press@eco-rally.org For further information about Start, please contact Doug Wright or Rebecca Gibbs at LD Communications on 020 7439 7222 or email doug.wright@ldcommunications.co.uk / Rebecca.gibbs@ldcommunications.co.uk Notes to editors To see the range of vehicles which take part in the annual event, please click on this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rev0lvin/sets/72157623957798952

Previous Eco-Rallies pioneered the demonstration of hydrogen-powered vehicles and featured an extensive range of other alternative-fuel vehicles capable of driving much further than the average journey - with little or no emissions from the tailpipe.

About Bridgestone

The largest manufacturer of tyres and rubber products worldwide, Bridgestone leads the way in quality, technologically innovative goods and services and is a trusted brand that goes from strength to strength. Established in 1931 in the small town of Kurume, Japan on the island of Kyushu by its founder Shojiro Ishibashi, today it is a multi billion pound business with 183 manufacturing plants, in 26 countries and a presence in over 150 markets worldwide. Always seeking to be the best at what it does, Bridgestone is focused on its mission of “serving society with superior quality” through an enviable range of products that satisfy the needs of the customer and society as a whole. About Revolve Revolve is an independent events producer and consultancy founded in London in 2006. It aims to encourage and promote sustainable forms of transport, including new fuels and technologies, through creative high-profile events that capture the public’s imagination. The Revolve name is inspired by the revolutionary vision of zero emission transport for all, and the evolutionary steps that must be taken in order to reach this goal. Revolve events aim to inform and educate people about the issues that revolve around sustainable transport and provide positive proof that it is in fact possible. For further details please visit www.eco-rally.org/about-revolve About Start Established in 2009, Start, aims to inspire the UK public to take small steps to achieve a more sustainable lifestyle through simple, practical and fun ways. Start provides advice and inspiration on what we can start to do, rather than what we have to stop doing. In 2010, Start attracted more than 30,000 visitors to the beautiful gardens of Clarence House, and the neighbouring gardens of Lancaster House and Marlborough House, with a festival in celebration of sustainable living. The event featured more than 270 musicians, comedians, environmental champions and over 100 inspiring and interactive displays from some of Britain’s best-known companies. The event attracted support and participation from the likes of Dame Vivienne Westwood, Alan Titchmarsh, George Clarke and Brian Blessed, to name just a few, as well as exclusively launching Emma Watson’s spring/summer People Tree collection with a spectacular fashion show. This year’s Start Pop-up Restaurant in association with Think Eat Drink runs from 27-31 July and features a bar and

light snacks in the gardens of Lancaster House with free entry, but please note that tables for the restaurant need to be booked in advance. For further details please visit www.startuk.org