Navigation Planning (Start -15)

Planning the route


Well some of the weekend was spent working up a spreadsheet will all the stops, including charge points.   There had been a concern that the introduction of charges by Chargemaster was going to acre things badly; however, ASDA have confirmed that their chargers will remain FOC and there are some critical chargers, in Scotland that are mandatory: they include Forfar, Tain and Inverness.  Each of which I need to sit on until the max to make the subsequent leg achievable.


Here is a short version of the route that was extracted for PR output:


Outbound
 


Wokingham, London, Milton Keynes, Silverstone (Fleet World Exhibition), Doncaster, Hull (Photo-call at Z-cars Engineering),Scarborough, Whitby, Metrocentre Gateshead, Jedburgh, Newton St Boswells, Edinburgh (Meet EV Assoc Scotland) + photo-calls in Edinburgh, Dundee, Forfar, Aberdeen, Grampian Transport Museum (Photo-call), Huntly, Elgin, Forres, Inverness (Various side events in the Scottish Highlands - Whisky Trail, skiing at Aviemore etc..), Inverness
 


Return
 


Inverness, Ullapool, Stornoway (various photo calls on Isles of Harris/ Lewis), Oban, Islay, Loch Fyne (Photo-call), Alexandria, Glasgow, Stirling (Photo-call), Edinburgh Ingliston (Green Fleet Scotland Exhibition)(Photo-call with Keith Brown MSP – Transport Minister), Selkirk, Hawick, Corbridge, Harrogate, Leeds – direct Wokingham


Graphics Design 

I've been collating the sponsor's logos and evaluating where to put then - based on their contribution. Clearly that was a difficult balancing act and we will have to wait some weeks to hear their views.  So a first-cut suitable for Highland Charge have been submitted to Macro Graphics Ltd of Hook, Hants - and I am anxious to get the fit date and see the overall effect! 

This was the prize winning car entered by Green Motorsport in last year's WAVE - pretty cool.  Things seemed to be easier with a white car as many of the logos are not transparent.  So Macro Graphics will have their work cut out on the EV Matters' iMiev, which is silver!

Car Preparation - Car 1 - Green Motorsport "Light Utility EV"

Well I have driven this unique prototype and it is certainly stunning.  The requirements were established by the Growing Air Foundation ( see http://www.growingairfoundation.com ) as you can read in their website they have established a programme to buy land and re-forest swathes of S.America!   They wanted an ecologically sound vehicle a a basic principle; however, of more profound influent was the need for a vehicle that could cope with the jungle terrain, cope with unmade roads and would not be dependant on long lines of supply for refuelling and maintenance!

The chassis has been made by Z-Cars (see http://www.zcarsuk.com/projects.php ) who are long installed manufactures of racing cars and special effects cars.   The drive system exploits water-cooled DC-motors designed and built by Green Motorsports.

Sadly I cannot yet post a photo; however, it will be here soon.  If I predict I may get shot!  It will be here when Green Motorsport are ready!

An Introduction (Start -19)

Friday, 21st March 2015 - Start date -19!

Intro

OK, its just 10 days before we depart for our long haul EV trial around UK, which we are calling the 'Highland Charge 2014'.  Quite a lot has been written on various chat rooms and there has been the occasion Tweet and Google+ post; however the time is not right to bring all those rumour and spin into one repository and then be able to cary on in reporting the event!

The blog is being written by Brian Orr, co-owner of EV Matters Ltd a small consultancy company working on the case for renewable energy and sustainable personal transport.

Background

In Jan 14, I was researching the World Advanced Vehicle Expedition (WAVE) see http://wavetrophy.com/en/  - seeking yet another event to demonstrate the feasibility of long-range electric vehicle tourism utilising (to the max extent possible) renewal energies!

The event organiser introduced me to Green Motorsport Ltd (GMS) who have been stalwarts of the event since its inception.  It tuned out that GMS are local to myself, and I decided to check them out.  It turned out that they were intending to use the 2104 WAVE to support their demonstration of a new generation of all-British-built electric utility vehicles.   However, they were very much in need of a 2nd entrant to provide 'support' for their relatively untested 'buggy'.

A Teaming Agreement was created and we started with the event planning - actually the planning has fallen to EV Matters, while Green Motorsport complete the build and testing of their very radical car!

So Who are Green Motorport?

Much of the story is told on their webiste at: http://www.greenmotorsport.com//green_motorsport/5,1,388,44.html

Phew - that avoids a lot of typing! 

.. and What is the involvement with WAVE

Well, before EV matters arrived on the scene, GMS had already laid out their plans and strategies: 

http://www.greenmotorsport.com/green_motorsport/news_and_information/3,1,388,1,29208.html

More about the Green Motorsport Entry

Well this has remained a secret for many months and it has still not had a public debut!  All I am permitted to say is that it has been built to meet specific requirements laid down by the Growing Air Foundation (GAF).

Read about GAF huge pals for the reforestation of the S.American rain forests, here:  http://www.growingairfoundation.com

.. and listen to a programme from Passion For the Planet (Digital Radio Station) interviewing Gordon Foat (GMS) and Leora Rosner of GAF talking about the GMS / GAF synergy, here:

http://t.co/CHQsUFN3wi

Its a Hard Act to Follow

I'll fill in a bit more later about EV Matters - however, lets keep you reading onwards!  Some readers will know that EV Matters owns an Mitsu' iMiev, which is a veteran of Highland Charge 2013 - as featured in Autocar Magazine on 29 Jan 14.   We tried to get  more 'state of the art' battery electric vehicle, but no manufacture was willing (in my view) to have them tested in long range trials!  Which is just as well as we would have 'failed miserable' on Day 1, as none of the latest-and-greatest vehicle has the ability to utilise the 'rapid charger' infrastructure!    

WAVE and Highland Charge

I hope you have been thoroughly entertained by the stories and pictures on the WAVE website, quote above.  If not do go back and understand more about the traditional and the objectives of the WAVE trophy!

The ‘Highland Charge' is actually the 'brain-child' of EV Matters!

Highland charge , at least in concept, a proving trial for the WAVE support vehicle.  However, more candidly it’s a chance to take the WAVE-story to the wider public - along the length of UK.  The vehicle will be liveried as per the WAVE entry; however, its operation is being provided free-of-charge as a bonus to our WAVE sponsors.  The ulterior motive is to raise funds for HELP the HEROES.  

The current plan is to cover approximately 2000 miles from London via the east cost route to to Inverness - loiter in the hills and glens - then west to the outer Hebrides.

We will take stepping stone route through Harris and Lewis and on to Skye.  Maybe a tour around the Trossachs and Kyles-of-Bute - before taking the west coast route doth to Berkshire!

There will be significant number of showcase/ fund-raising events, en route!

100% of the collections from Highland Charge will be going to Help for Heroes!

More information shortly!