8:16 am, August 23, 2012
A THREE day road trip from Liverpool to Wales has proved to one Renault dealer that cars of the future will be plugged in, not filled up.
David Kirkby, electric vehicle specialist at Renault Liverpool, was keen to examine how far the five-seat Renault Fluence Z.E. saloon would go on a fully charged battery.
His journey to the Bryn Bella Guest House in Betws-Y-Coed, Snowdonia is exactly 70 miles from the dealership in Sefton Street, Toxteth, and the visit would include trips to tourist attractions in the region.
‘The car has a real world range of around 100 miles depending on driving style and other conditions, so it was going to be interesting to see how the trip affected the range of the vehicle,’ said Kirkby.
During his stay he travelled to various locations in the region, taking photographs and recording a promotional video with the owners, before recharging the battery overnight – the B&B became the first in the Snowdonia National Park to install charging points for residents to use for free during their stay – and travelling back to Liverpool the following morning.
Kirkby spent more time on his return journey to Liverpool on fast roads finding that cruising at 65mph the Fluence Z.E. performed well. ‘I arrived back at the showroom with 25 miles of charge still available and covered 220 miles over three days in an electric car which was very impressive.
‘The whole point of the trip was to prove that electric vehicles can be used to travel to locations like this, that they can be charged and used to travel around everyday and even whilst on holiday, which often result in longer journeys,’ said Kirkby. ‘It is also to promote and encourage the fact that we need more locations to install charging facilities.’
You can find out more about the Snowdonia Road Trip experience on YouTube.
