Team Europcar gets EV ready!

If you want to test out the range of an electric vehicle (EV) and the UK charging infrastructure, what better way than to join a 1,200-mile EV Rally visiting the five UK and Ireland capital cities in five days?

On 3rd July a team of Europcar colleagues will set off from Cardiff as one of 18 teams in the GreenFleet EV Rally: The Capital City Challenge. Amongst around 50 electric vehicles criss-crossing the UK and Ireland, Team Europcar will be driving a Cupra Born, Skoda Enyaq, Audi Q8 e-tron and the ID. Buzz Cargo van.

The route will take in some amazing sights, including almost every type of landscape – and road – in the UK. From Cardiff on day one, the EV convoy will head to London and finish in Nottingham. On day two, it will travel up the spine of the UK to Edinburgh. Day three will see the teams head across the water to Belfast. On day four the vehicles travel around Northern Ireland, before finishing in Dublin on day five.

This will provide a valuable opportunity to understand how the UK and Ireland’s charging infrastructure works for real-world long-distance journeys. Drivers will use a combination of charging facilities, including mainstream charging stations, hotels and business sites. And, as well as passing many of the 100+ branches in the Europcar network during the Rally, all the teams will take a break in Leicester, Europcar’s HQ city.  Mattioli Woods Welford Road, the home of the Leicester Tigers, will be the checkpoint to mark Europcar’s recently announced new partnership.

The road ahead
Team Europcar is excited to be part of the Rally to learn about the challenges motorists face in real-world conditions and showcase the capabilities of EVs, while hopefully dispelling a few myths along the way too. It will also be an opportunity to demonstrate that EVs can be a viable option for private and business drivers, including those who regularly drive long distances.

As the move towards a zero emissions future gets ever closer, EVs are becoming increasingly popular but barriers – some real and some perceived – remain for many people considering making the switch. Whether it’s the initial cost of the vehicle itself, the potential cost of repairs and maintenance, or plain and simple range anxiety, there is much still to understand about how EVs can fit into everyone’s lives.

Government statistics confirm that transport is the largest emitting sector of greenhouse gas emissions, producing 24% of the UK’s total emissions in 2020. To cut emissions rapidly, both individuals and businesses are recognising the importance of driving greener vehicles. Businesses of all sizes are committing to running greener fleets and Europcar wants to be part of the solution to help them meet their sustainability targets.

Europcar is helping businesses transition to more sustainable modes of transport now and in the future, and taking part in the GreenFleet EV Rally will be invaluable for gaining additional insights into the electric motoring experience – warts and all.  Everyone involved is looking forward to learning from the team’s experience and putting the information to use helping motorists and businesses get on board with the government’s decarbonisation ambitions.

Team Europcar

Introducing the electric vehicles:

Cupra Born, click here to learn more
Skoda Enyaq, more info here
Audi Q8 e-tron, learn more
ID Buzz Cargo, click here

Not all these vehicles are currently available for hire from Europcar, but the GreenFleet EV Rally will give the team a great opportunity to understand where they can fit into the Europcar EV offering as it evolves. The team is excited to be part of an event that is expected to make a significant contribution to how the fleet landscape is reshaped when it comes to sustainable travel.

Stay tuned for more news on Europcar’s LinkedIn from 3rd July, as Team Europcar post updates from the trip, sharing their progress and their charging challenges and successes.