Public to drive electric test cars

Members of the public are being asked to vounteer to take part in the government-funded national electric car trials announced today.

The £25m scheme will run for 12 months and see 340 electric vehicles being put through their paces.

Car manufacturers are hoping to discover how electric cars would be used in everyday, ‘real world’ conditions.

Which electric cars are being tested?

• Forty electric Minis will be leased to drivers living in Oxford and the Southeast for one year. In a similar scheme in America, Mini charged its customers the equivalent of £520 per month, a cost that included maintenance and insurance.
• In Glasgow, 40 battery-powered people carriers will be made available by Peugeot. Each car will be tracked using GPS to record the way it is used over the course of the year.
• Mercedes is asking for volunteers to test 100 of its latest electric Smart cars available in the west Midlands and in London.

• The trials will also feature a small number of electric sports cars including models from the Lightning car company, Westfield and Delta Motorsport.

Some the electric cars on offer	Speed	Range	Charge time	Looks
Mini E	95mph	150 miles	12 hours
Lightning	130mph	180 miles	4.5 hours
Peugeot eExpert	70mph	100miles	tbc
Smart E Drive	60mph	50-70miles	8hours
Ford Focus EV	tbc	80miles	tbc

What is the ETA?

The ETA is an organisation providing motorists and cyclists with carbon-neutral breakdown cover and insurance products – including a specialised service for electric vehicles.