Tuesday 17 June 2014

WAVE 2014 Afterword

It's been a long day and so waxing lyrical might be the trend for this entry. Generally I don't like waxing anything but since I feel comfortable with lyrical I shall give it my best shot without wounding anyone.
Sitting in a moving vehicle powered by the sun traveling the black ribbon of road unfolding before me as it slipped through the forest was something more then simply a drive. The trees we passed on this sojourn, the wisdom they hold is truly something to behold, to honor and respect. These beings have been here so much longer then we humans, they have withstood the passage of time on slippered feet quietly observing the changing seasons and the folly of humanity throughout the ages. Yet as I sail by on 4 wheels in an electric vehicle I feel an intense sensation of safety, of being protected and held in the embrace of the natural world. I feel as though the trees know I am but one small ally and their intention is to cover my back and gently push me forward to achieve the intended goal of saving their brothers and sisters in the Atlantic Rain Forest. There is no translation needed as the ambassadorial birds sing of natures plight and my understanding is complete of what they request of me.


WAVE 2014 DAY 6-7

The day started out fine with breakfast, coffee and orange juice. Following the usual procedure we loaded our suitcases, unplugged and hit the road. We were on our way to Interlaken, a beautiful day through beautiful scenery past open sided tunnels. Hidden under pages from the road map to block the sun from the face of the android pad I was reading the numbers, which meant the state of charge, current and voltage. Everything was going perfectly when suddenly the Tapir made itself known with an odd sound and we began losing speed. We pulled off the road beside a lake about 5km from Interlaken. The scene was a picture postcard of glistening blue water, coots swimming by and sailboats moored hither and hither in the water. The leaves on the nearby trees glowed in the sunlight, a few clouds rested in the blue sky. Gordon turned the ignition, the motor worked but we weren't moving, not even an inch. We clambered out and Gordon crawled under the buggy close to the rear tires. He was lying on his side and so only his bum and legs were sticking out from beneath the buggy. I looked around and across the road was a rock face with new plants growing from the rock. The sun beat down making that rock face visibly warm. As I turned to look at the lake and then to see what Gordon had been able to discover, I saw a duck couple, male and female, waddling towards us. The male seemed to lead and his mate followed about a foot behind him off to his left. As he waddled past me, he looked up, decided I was harmless and settled comfortably in the soft grass. The female decided to take a detour. Instead of following her mate she turned slightly to the left and headed straight for Gordon's bum! All I could think of doing at that moment was to think as strongly as possible to the duck, "I don't think this is the time or moment to bother Gordon right now. He's trying to figure out what has gone wrong!" Mrs. Duck stopped in her tracks and looked at me. She cocked her head to one side while giving me a look of, “oh, ok, no worries.” She then waddled back a few steps and settled down in the soft grass while keeping an eye on Gordon's bum and all was peaceful in her world. Mr. Duck, however, paying no attention at all to anything else, simply preened himself the entire time. 
Well, we needed help and it was just our luck that Roberto happened by. He is on one of the support teams. Unfortunately there was nothing he could do and so it was decided I would ride with him into Interlaken and help would be sent back to Gordon waiting with the Tapir. Long story short, it was the left rear wheel bearing and drive shaft connection that had given up the ghost, however Gordon managed to drive the Tapir into Interlaken, limping, followed by the WAVE support crew. The buggy was eventually towed to a local service station, checked again and diagnosed with the only therapy being it needed to be left there and picked up later with the truck and trailer and taken back to the U.K.
Later that day everyone arrived on Mt. Rigi where the prizes would be awarded and a fabulous meal would be served including a trio of Alpine Horns being played. I must say that the sound produced was exquisite and at the risk of sounding corny, was truly heavenly! 


As the prizes were being awarded Gordon arrived just in time in the electric support car to receive third prize overall shared with the Swiss TV crew. He also won for the best charging and Gordon and I were given our participation certificates. We had made it despite the trials and tribulations and the Tapirs’ motor and battery packs came through with flying colors!


Sunset as seen at Mount Rigi




WAVE 2014 DAY 5

Today was to be new tire day. After breakfast we loaded up the Tapir and headed off to look for the garage we had spotted the day before. We drove through one small town but the garage did not magically appear. However, in the next town it was exactly where it was supposed to be and we pulled in. Gordon explained the situation and showed them the problem where upon they told us to come back in an hour. Gordon replied, We are here on a special mission and there are 3000 people waiting for us! They said they would get on it immediately and they did. The two front tires were taken off and the new ones put on and we were road ready and champing at the proverbial bit.


Off we drove into the distance ahead of us. Things were going well but due to the tire exchange we were running late. The afternoon began and we made it to Broc, plugged in, ran to grab a sandwich from the catered lunch, nothing for a vegetarian, the first time on this WAVE, grabbed a banana and an apple, Gordon grabbed a sandwich and then 3 minutes later were told it was time to leave. PANIC!!!!! We needed to charge, we needed to eat something but we also didnt want any penalty points. So off we went in search of a plug and no penalty points. We stopped at a furniture-building place in an industry area and the guys there allowed us to plug in. The sun was absolutely brutal and we eventually left in search of a less heated place. A couple of hours later we stopped at a gardening center. Gordon spoke to a woman there who instructed us to drive around the back and there we would be able to plug in. We did as we were told and, sure enough, we could plug in and charge the phones as well. It was fantastic there, surrounded by plants, veggie plants, fruit trees and the Alps outside. They let us stay until they closed at 18:30 and we hit the road again. This was going to be an epic plug in day whether we liked it or not! We had been driving for quite awhile when it was again time to plug in and wound up at a refrigeration company. We had literally just driven up and climbed out of the buggy when a truck drove up and parked. A well-dressed woman got out and asked what we were doing and offered to help. Once we were plugged in she went to the nearby house and let out a young dog who ran around like a maniac. She needed to leave and told us that her father would be coming home soon and that he knew we were there and why and everything was ok. She drove off in a small car and 10 minutes later her father arrived. Jacques introduced himself and was very interested in the Tapir. He told us he had driven on a motorcycle to China and upon arrival they refused him entry. He was still intent upon making the complete trip.

The batteries were now charged and we could leave and so we piled in and off we went. We had been munching on fruit bars, rice crackers and cheese and honey throughout the day and we getting hungry for something more substantial. We arrived In Murten fairly late, had missed the dinner and needed to find a place to eat. Our stuff stowed in the youth hostel we wound up at a café where several other teams were enjoying a few beers and munchables. Bread pizzas were ordered and we swallowed them whole. The rest of the evening passed with much joking around and laughter and pretty soon we all headed back to the youth hostel and some much needed sleep.

WAVE 2014 DAY 4

Today we are going up the Furca Pass, at 2436 meters, the highest one in Switzerland. We were ready and began our drive. As we approached the beginning of the Furca Pass we happened to pass Urs on his electric bicycle. We tooted and waved and Urs waved back enthusiastically. In my eyes Urs would be the hero of the day. After all, it was the Furca Pass and to get over it on an electric bicycle was going to be no mean feat! Driving with the inimitable plug hunter himself I knew that should it be necessary to plug in somewhere he would find one without any trouble. We continued on and eventually reached a point where we needed to plug in and as expected the plug hunter hunteth and the plug hunter pluggeth! Lo and behold there was THE spot and we could stop and plug in for some battery juice insuring our safe and continued passage over the pass. Gordon climbed out of the Tapir, hauled out a cable, walked over to the steel hut on stilts, climbed the few steps and attempted to climb onto the thin railing in order to reach the targeted plug. This was not working too well for the railing wobbled dangerously. As Gordon climbed back down Urs appeared on his e-bicycle, got off and began to shove his bike behind the steel hut on stilts. Odd! Two minutes later a police car drove by, passed us all and continued upwards a short distance. They stepped out and proceeded to watch us all. Gordon asked Urs who has a wiry build that would enable him to perform such an acrobatic feat, if he might try climbing up to plug us in and so he did and succeeded. Once he climbed down he told us of his plight. All that we understood was that the police were not going to allow him to continue over the Furca Pass. I couldnt believe it since, as he told us this two cyclist came barreling down towards us from the opposite direction. What the frack was going on? I took a few photographs and when I turned around the police were there, talking to Urs and shooing us away. Ms. Cop came to me and said that if we needed help we could use the orange pillar like thing to call. This orange thing had a fence around it and so I replied that I had no idea that that thing was used to call for help and that we did not need any help we just needed to plug in, pure and simple. She showed me that it was open on one side and again I claimed innocence and she believed me. Mr. Cop, in the meantime, continued to talk to Urs who eventually called Louis in desperation. They were going to arrest him, as it turned, for stealing electricity. Pfffffffffff, how much might that have cost, 10 cents? Maybe and for that he was to be arrested? Insane!!!!! They were also upset that Urs had photographed them so in my urge to take more photos I made a point in asking if they minded if I took some shots. Since I had gotten Ms. Cop to laugh, I was free to do what I wanted. The police were now on the phone with Louis who was able to convince them that Urs was kosher and all was good. They finally let him go and on we all continued up the infamous Furca Pass.
We lost sight of Urs as we climbed and about halfway we stopped to take some pictures. The view was staggeringly beautiful. Some of the peaks were covered in snow while other baked brown in the sun. One view offered a rippling, almost like water frozen in time, stretch of mountaintops that shone blue in the sunlight. Clouds overhead moved in an almost deliberate manner until one cloud appeared that looked like an animal running headlong, leaning into a turn, as it raced across the sky. I was witness to the Glaciator desperately trying to keep those peaks covered in snow, battling against the change in climate that we humans had caused.



A few more pics were taken and we climbed back into the buggy and headed off for the top of the Furca Pass. Once we arrived we were met again by an astounding view and a group of soldiers having ice cream! They immediately glommed onto the Tapir asking questions and mumbling to each pointed at our front tires. There was quite a bit of hmmming and uh huhing when they announced that if we were to be stopped by the police and they happen to notice the condition of our front tires we would not be allowed to continue. You see, the front tires, suffering an orthopedic condition, were some what pigeon toed and stood more on the inside of the tire then just flat on the ground. Due to those facts the inside of both tires were now, basically, bald while the outside had serious tread. We thanked them for their advice, talked about their socks, which anyone who was at EMPA last year will understand and off we drove. The decision was made to get our hands on new front tires ASAP!


Upon arriving at our destination for the evening and night we were all treated to various presentations about the area and the state of glaciers today due to climate change. When the latter was finished the speaker asked if there were any questions. I raised my hand and asked if he had any hope that these glaciers could be restored. He basically evaded the question stating that hope means getting emotional and emotions did not concur with scientific findings and research. I retorted with the fact that to continue with only research would not work, that emotions are a part of the equation to get the job done and it was time we got our hands dirty, into the soil and make the much needed changes to slow climate change and eventually to stop it.


WAVE 2014 DAY 3

Another day begins; coffee and breakfast carry us into the dining room as we carry our luggage outside. The buggy is loaded, the batteries loaded and after breakfast we are loaded. The road greets us wishing us happy trails and off we go into the day. As I mentioned before the Tapir is a prototype and prototypes can offer unexpected surprises. We were driving the days a to b when the eventual switch to the other battery needed to be made. In order to do that we needed to stop, turn the engine off and then turn the big switch right behind between the seats. Gordon reached back, grabbed the switch but it wouldn't budge. After a few moments he attempted it again, no go. He turned the ignition, drove another couple of kilometers, stopped and tried again. The switch turned and off we went. Something still wasn't quite kosher. 


For some reason there was hardly any charge left at all and confusion insured wondering if we were switched to the top battery back or the bottom one. Regardless of what we thought we had to stop and do it quick before we just stopped in the middle of the road. Gordon turned the switch one direction and then the other and discovered the switch was switching too easily. We drove another 100 meters and stopped in front of a cafeteria coffee shop. The owner was not pleased when I asked if we might be able to plug into the socket outside and, no, we couldn't order any coffee or anything for that matter. He eventually allowed us to plug in while Gordon took the right side panel off to get to the tool kit. There were now a variety of things strewn along the side of the Tapir. Gordon took the switch off and discovered the inside had melted and other parts had simply vanished. Like a proper surgeon he performed a bypass and that solved the problem. It would take more time to switch from one pack to the other but we were now able to keep going! He wrapped it all in tape, the bypass, protecting from getting a shock and besides our hair was curly enough. 

WAVE 2014 DAY 2

The time had come to present the WAVE vehicles to schoolchildren in a few towns which meant, as far as I was concerned, party time! They are the best audiences ever thanks to their curiosity, honesty, warmth, good humor and their wonderful feeling about the natural world. Since every member of every team had received a toy pig in Hohenlohe, a breed that had almost been wiped out and was subsequently saved from total extinction, one of our piggies was also serving as the navigator, or at least as far as the kids were concerned. As we drove into the first town the sidewalks seemed to be covered by school kids, all waving, clapping, cheering and some waving flags. The pig, who shall be referred to as P.W. (Piggie Wiggie) came alive and wiggled and jiggeted about in utter ecstasy at seeing all the kids. And the kids cheered louder and waved more furiously while pointing at P.W. Once we had gone through the WAVE arrival arch we parked the Tapir, unzipped our doors and climbed out. At that very moment we were surrounded by a large group of kids varying age between 10-15 all completely captured by the Tapir. Their looks of surprise were priceless and they had many questions. I went off to grab a coffee and break my head deciding which delectable local pastry to choose. Charged with coffee for my own battery I strolled back outside and was immediately sour rounded by a small group of kids. They had all sorts of questions, not only about electric vehicles but also the environment and the connection between the two. These likes were on the ball, awake and aware. As I answered each question one would finish answering before I could finish. We were all on the same page and I congratulated them on this fact. I eventually asked them if they would like to see the Tapir and received a very enthusiastic answer. In true John Cleese style I said, "Follow me and walk as I walk!" So began the silliest small parade ever. Every jousting leg, outstretched arm was perfectly copied and all were laughing as we approached the Tapir. Their jaws dropped, their eyes blinked in surprise and they loved it! We visited more schools and saw many more kids that day all convinced that our fearless Piggie, P.W. was our faithful navigator.

It was time to charge, have a chat with other WAVErs and get moving again. This would mean, as it had meant on other days, that the numbers had to be read and those numbers were the State of Charge (SOC), current and voltage of the battery pack being used at that time. These numbers would give us an indication of battery use, how it was being used as well as achievable distance. All improved on a daily basis and Gordon's motor was working a charm and very willing and able to just drive forever. A real workhorse fed by the batteries, which extended our range daily. After all, let us remember that the Tapir is a prototype and as prototypes go this little buggy definitely can rock n roll!!!! 

WAVE 2014 DAY 1

It has been a number of days since writing the first blog. I had to face the fact that my sometimes-impossible optimism about being able to get online even though we were all warned it would be difficult was failing miserably. So, like any contemporary geek I made the final decision and through my provider I arranged a traveling hotspot that most likely will send my wallet straight into cardiac arrest, which will only happen once I get home. The days have rolled into a Mobius strip of early mornings, rushed breakfasts, downed coffees, loading the buggy, unplugging and hitting the road through some of the most staggeringly beautiful landscapes. The towns and cities we have thus far visited, although architecturally and historically beautiful simply pale when looking at those rolling hills climbing into mountains challenging the clouds sailing by in an unimaginably blue sky. And the trees, the forests we drive through as the road unwinds before us, a safe place, a beautiful place, and a peaceful place. This is how the world should be!


WAVE 2014 DAY 0 Lift Off

This buggy, the Tapir, we are driving in this years WAVE is the result of a wild discussion on the way back from last years WAVE and as a prototype this years WAVE will be her debut. 

Her children will be enlisted in GAF projects carrying seedlings, water and people and will also be sold to the general public as an all purpose vehicle for on and off the road as well as for simply tootling around the countryside. That being said we had to get up quite early in order to make it to the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim where breakfast would be served. We missed the breakfast but decided to go into the museum restaurant and enjoyed bagels with smoked salmon, I know, I said I am a vegetarian but once in awhile I like to have a bit of salmon, and kick ass coffee which woke all the neurons up gearing us up for the day. We went back outside, Gordon heading for the Tapir and I for a look around. I spotted an electric motorcycle that looked like it had popped out of the movie, Tron! Having been a biker driving a BMW R65 in the past all I could do was gawk and drool. This was one mean looking bike with an enormously fat rear tire and looking every bit the speed freak, silently navigating the roads. Yes, I wanted one but I also wanted to have the Johammer bike which I can only describe as looking like a giant shrimp ready to take on the world, very cool design and really quite awesome to behold. Ralf-Martin Tauer manned his drone and literally flew circles around the entire area giving everyone a beautiful birds eye view of the whole scene. Finally it was time to leave and head for the enormous parking lot where we would form a heart and inside, the words: electric car world record Stuttgart 2014. We were at the top of the second E in electric. The whole thing was stupendous and we broke the latest Guinness World Record that was made in Norway (399 e cars) with a total of 507 e cars!!!!
We then headed back to Bietigheim-Bissingen for a quick lunch n charge after which we all made a heading for Heilbronn. The WAVE had now begun and the Tapir was digging in and loving it!


WAVE 2014 DAY -1

Eventually Friday came and after getting things organized Peter and Helga announced breakfast was being served on the top floor, which happens to be his parents apartment. The table was decked out and truly looked wonderful. Various jams, boiled eggs, four different types of bread including big pretzels, just like in Central Park in New York. Of course Germany is the source of those famous pretzels! Delish! There were also a couple different kinds of cheeses and pork that Gordon got into quite happily.
Peters mother planted and cares for her beautiful garden downstairs as well as all her gorgeous orchids and other plants on their balcony and windowsill upstairs. She not only has a green thumb, every digit on both hands is green and so she's a natural. Both parents are absolutely delightful!
Auntie Val's boxes of jams were loaded into Peter and Helga's Zoe as well as a few other things that could not possibly fit on or in the buggy which we will call the Tapir from here on in. Our own baggage was stowed on top of the Tapir and battened down with a tarp that snaps shut keeping all contents dry. Gordon and I donned our helmets and climbed into the Tapir. The goggles were also put on and we were ready to hit the road along with Peter and Helga. My head bobbed around like the head on a kewpie doll due to the weight of the helmet. Since my neck was protesting the decision was made not to wear mine but Gordon kept his on and donned the goggles like a swashbuckling cartoon hero! Thankfully he didn't try leaping off tall buildings or go faster than a speeding bullet and besides he didn't have a cape to enable the afore mentioned activities. He is, however, the Plug Hunter and now also the Tapir Man!

And off we drove, the Tapir Man and sidekick, like a speeding Tapir into the wilds of Germany heading towards Bietigheim-Bissingen for the gathering of the Wave participants would take place. There the various teams would be introduced and Louis would give his briefing about the following day! There were, in fact, 78 teams, four support teams and Louis, our fearless leader, with his incredible crew and the switch bus. To all the teams were introduced on stage for if that would have happened it would have taken all night and possibly a good portion of the following day. Louis gave the briefing and then it was time to enjoy some food provided by our hosts. This particular writer and vegetarian was in heaven, with eyes popping at all the delicious goodies prepared by our hosts. The very best part was seeing all the people who had taken part in last years WAVE taking part in this years WAVE. It was like a huge family reunion!!! All was good with the world and my stomach celebrated. Pretty soon the teams headed off for their lodgings for the night. We headed for Jugendgastehaus Leonberg which we eventually found somewhere out in the toolies that seemed far from the madding crowd, quite isolated and very quiet.

Sunday 1 June 2014

WAVE 2014 DAY -2

We, Gordon Foat of Green MotorSport and I, Leora Rosner of the Growing Air Foundation and Brian and Jean Orr of EV Matters are Team Green MotorSport with WAVE rally number 3 and 37. Pretty cool, the number 3 for it is one of the Fibonacci numbers, which appear throughout nature. Since we are forging the double edged sword against climate change to help our planet, the natural world, then that number is magic, that number defines us!
I woke up this morning after a three-hour sleep max, while Gordon hadn't gotten any shuteye what so ever. He was working on the last details of the buggy that at times was driving him buggy, discovered that the two bolts holding the main sprocket were so loose they could be easily unscrewed but he prevailed and won that race. The buggy, whom we will refer to as the Tapir from here on in was loaded, had her seat belts fastened, battened and taped, nuts, bolts and screws were nordlocked, bond locked and landlocked for now. The Tapir would soon be sailing across the channel safe and sound and snug as a bug in a rug even though there wasn't a rug within miles and by the way for those who don't know what a Tapir is... The Tapir is a large herbivorous mammal, similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile snout. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia.   :-)
We ( team 3) left Woking at 06:15 and headed off to Dover in order to make it by 07:55. We arrived at 08:15 and were told that we would need to take the next ferry, which meant leaving Dover an hour later.
Once on the ferry we headed for the eatery and had breakfast while keeping our eyes pried open.
This ferry ride was, compared to last years ferry ride, rather uneventful! No time travelled pirates of the Caribbean rendered deaf driving motorcycles, not a single odd event unless you count the group of big men staring at me and wondering if my camera was a camera or a gun in disguise. You see, I have a nifty over the shoulder strap with a smaller strap that locks under my armpit just like the holster of a detective’s gun! The leery eyed guys eventually decided I was too small to bother with and besides they figured being shot to death with a digital camera might not look good on their résumés!
Eventually the announcement came over the p.a. announcing our arrival in Calais. We headed down to the D1 deck and discovered our trusty steeds were surrounded by behemoths otherwise known as tourist busses with floppy rabbit ears doubling as rear-view mirrors and tail pipes belching fumes, which for behemoths such as these happens to be anatomically correct. They were grumbling in their eagerness to get off the ferry. Refraining from the usual gasp and cough we climbed into the truck and waited our turn to disembark which, thankfully, didn't take long at all and we were off and running.
Our route took us through France on the payage, toll roads that were perfect ribbons of black or gray asphalt. I was imagining them to be covered in the newly developed solar panels specifically designed for roads, runways, playgrounds, basically all roads and hard surfaced areas in towns and cities. Alas this is not yet the case! However since it is the payage it meant our ride would be smooth and the tapir would not suffer from the shake, rattle and roll of the pot-holed Belgian highway system next door. We eventually arrived in Schorndorf at midnight happy to be meeting Peter and Helga Schwan who would also be joining the WAVE for the first time. They are wonderfully warm people and we are so glass to have this opportunity to get to know them. Gordon and I stayed in their guest apartment and we felt right at home.


One thing is for certain, were it not for the following sponsors we would not have been able to take part in the 2014 WAVE! We thank you all whole heartedly!!!  And, to show how much we love you we made a nice heart with all our WAVE team friends to say a big thank you! :-)



World Record Parade press photo, Can you spot our teams? We (team 3) are in the 2nd E of the Word "Electric" and the Buggy is top right of that letter E!  Also worth a watch is our WAVE you tube video, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0lMyVfUQFs   and not to mention Team 3 ( Gordon and Leora appeared on Swiss Prime Time today!!)




If you like to find out where we are in and how fast our cars go you can go to the Live tracking page for Team 3 and 37. This dynamic map can be found at the following link http://web.agmtelematics.net/ShareTrip/index.aspx?token=lfvpapvqr1k   Sponsored by AGM Telematics.

Monday 14 April 2014

Preparing for the WAVE 2014

Gordon Foat of Green MotorSport is preparing for the WAVE 2014, the fourth drive across Europe for battery electric vehicles powered by renewable energy, from 31st May to 7th June. Green MotorSport successfully participated in all the WAVE events, driving across some of the most demanding territory in Europe. This year Team Green MotorSport will have two entries. Our support vehicle will be a conventional battery electric car, driven by our colleagues from EV Matters, Brian and Jean Orr.



As a ‘warm-up to WAVE 2014’, EV Matters has elected to share the WAVE principles with a UK audience by taking their WAVE-liveried battery electric vehicle on a whistle-stop tour, starting in London – up the east coast to Scotland - side excursions into and around the Scottish Highlands – before heading to the Western Isles – demonstrating the feasibility of Scotland, as an ecological sustainable destination for pure-battery EVs!

EV Matters will raise funds for ‘Help the Heroes’ aiming to contribute a pound for each mile covered. At the end of the Scottish phase, EV Matters has been invited to present their car on 25th April at the Green Fleet Motorshow in Edinburgh and to receive the endorsement of the Scottish Minister for Tourism and Veterans for both the EV Trial and the charitable fund-raising. By the time that EV Matters gets back to base, on 27th April 2014, they will have clocked 2,000 plus miles in just 2 weeks!

The other vehicle in WAVE’s Team Green MotorSport will be our lightweight utility vehicle powered by a revolutionary generation of liquid cooled electric motor, coupled with a super efficient liquid cooled vector control system. The technology is the outcome of Green MotorSport’s Cost Effective Motor Project, which aims to provide electric vehicles that people can afford to buy. WAVE 2014 will give us the opportunity to test and showcase this new technology in a challenging environment. Gordon Foat will drive this unique hand-built prototype, which we have developed with ZCars in the UK. The co-driver will once again be Leora Rosner of the Growing Air Foundation (GAF) which will use electric vehicles in their work planting forests around the world.



WAVE 2014 is attracting more publicity as the installation of the renewable electricity infrastructure spreads across Europe, encouraging more people to drive electric vehicles. Last year the WAVE teams, including Green MotorSport achieved the World Record for an electric vehicle parade, as announced in the Guinness Book of Records. We shall keep you informed of Brian and Jean’s trip around Scotland, as well as progress with the performance of our new electric vehicle.



Wednesday 19 March 2014

GUINNESS book of records for Green MotorSport !

Last year the WAVE teams including Green MotorSport achieved the world record for an electric vehicle parade, with over 300 battery powered vehicles. The Guinness Book of Records has confirmed that our world record for the largest electric vehicle parade at the Zurich festival 2013 has been officially accepted. The new world record now stands at 305 vehicles, which made it back to the start/finish line.

GREEN MOTORSPORT on the Radio!

Heavy batteries, batteries that don’t last long, long charging periods – just some of the grumbles surrounding electric cars. But that’s changing. Just like mobile phone technology, electric car technology is improving and adapting to meet consumer needs. Including those who love motor racing. Gordon Foat of Green MotorSport Limited says not only do electric vehicles provide green and clean transport, electric cars are much more efficient at producing traction energy form a fuel than any other system.