For so many decades we have become totally dependent on vehicles powered by combustion engines fuelled by diesel or petrol that, when nearing empty, we simply drive to a filling station and top up.
But in recent years, other forms such as hybrid, mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles have become more and more regular additions to our roads.
And it is the latter, with its limited range between charges, that has concerned people the most. It’s the fear of running out of miles with nowhere to plug in and it’s suitably called range anxiety.
But there are other concerns too such as how far will the electric vehicle go? Is it easy to drive? Will it be powerful enough? Is it noisy? Where do I plug it in? And the list goes on.
However, in a bid to lay some concerns to rest, Ford has launched its Go Electric Roadshow. The event is designed for people of all ages and visitors will learn all about electrified vehicles, how to reduce CO2 emissions and motoring running costs. Visitors will see how simple it is to plug in and charge a car.
There will be simple explanations about the differences between mild hybrid, full hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full electric vehicles, and, more importantly, which one of them might be the most suitable for you in your daily life. The displays are clear and can be interactive without being mind-numbing or over-complicated so will appeal to everyone.
In addition, at certain venues there will be the opportunity to test drive some Ford vehicles, or to arrange a test drive with your local dealer at a time that’s convenient to you.
There are two roadshows touring the UK – a “big truck” which will spend most of its time at retail shopping centres and larger public shows and events. And a smaller unit which contains more detail for small business and commercial vehicle customers.
We caught up with Ford’s Go Electric Operation Manager, George Benn, at the Rushden Lakes Roadshow in Northamptonshire and he explained the relevance of the events. “The tours are so important as they are designed to educate and showcase the benefits of Electric Vehicles.
“By discussing Clean Air Zone legislation, unpacking EV technology, the daily benefits of an EV, what the various power chargers are, whilst assisting the public in determining which power train is correct for them, the GO Electric tour manages, within 20 minutes, to give a solid platform from which the public can make an informed decision around the electrification of vehicles,” he said.
“The tour was conceived and designed around the principle of being interactive, engaging and most importantly understandable by taking all the main EV elements and simplifying the language.”
And the Go Electric tour has already been attracting plenty of attention and gaining rave reviews as George explained: “The first tour was back in February 2020 for the large unit when we launched the GO Electric Tour in Scotland. However due to COVID there were no tours until the end of 2020 when we resumed in Liverpool, Nottingham and Southampton.
“The smaller unit promoting electrified vans visited Bridgend, Reading and Stratford in 2020. Feedback has been extremely positive as it provides the open forum for the public to explore electrification of vehicles with Ford experts in their own city,” he added.
The public do not need to book a tour and they run from 10am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and from 11am to 5pm on Sundays.
Experts will be on hand at all events and they will be fully compliant with all relevant government COVID measures, advice and restrictions with only a limited number of guided tours at any one time inside the unit.
The full calendar of events is listed below, but other dates will be added throughout the year so keep a lookout for dates in your region. See the link for more information https://www.ford.co.uk/experience-ford/motor-shows/go-electric-event
May 17-19: Go Electric Commercial - B&Q, Croydon
May 20-June 6: Go Electric Retail – Bluewater, Kent
May 25-27: Go Electric Commercial - Billingsgate Market, London
May 28-31: Go Electric Retail - St David's, Cardiff
June 3-6: Go Electric Retail – Bullring, Birmingham
June 7-8: Go Electric Commercial - B&Q, Wednesbury
June 10-20: Go Electric Retail - Cribbs Causeway, Bristol
June 17-20: Go Electric Commercial – Highcross, Leicester
June 24-July 4: Go Electric Retail - Trafford Centre, Manchester
