Other renewables

London to Edinburgh by electric car: it was quicker by electric car

BBC correspondent Brian Milligan set out to drive the electric-powered Mini E from London to Edinburgh, with stops at public charging stations whenever necessary. It took him four days to complete the trip on his 484-mile route, and he reported an average speed–taking charging time into account–of 6 mph. Toward the end of the journey Milligan was shivering from the cold, as using the heater would have lessened the car’s range.

Incensed after watching the weeklong BBC feature about a road trip in a BMW MiniE prototype, electric vehicles advocate David Peilow decided to give chase in a Tesla Roadster, and he reached his destination within a day.

An electric car enthusiast went to great lengths — nearly 500 miles — to dispel myths perpetuated by a BBC correspondent who claimed it takes four days to travel from London to Edinburgh in a zero-emission electric car.

Incensed after watching the weeklong BBC feature about a road trip in a BMW MiniE prototype, British electric vehicles advocate David Peilow decided to give chase in a Tesla Roadster – and he reached his destination within a day. In fact, endurance drivers at London’s Imperial College say Peilow appears to be the first person ever to drive an electric vehicle from London to Edinburgh in a single day.

“I didn’t start out to break any records,” Peilow said. “I simply wanted to provethe BBC wrong and make sure people understood that the BBC’s pitiful imagery was not factual. You could say that I took the high road to Scotland – by driving a zero-emission car with lithium ion batteries.”

Cheered on by thousands ofsupporters in cyberspace, Peilow’s impromptu trip became something of a “David vs. Goliath” odyssey. Or more appropriately, David vs. the BBC.

Peilow departed Wednesday morning from Tesla’s London showroom. He arrived in Edinburgh that night, charging at conventional 240-volt outlets when necessary. He ate dinner at a popular welcome center in Tebay while the electric car charged. His trip was devoid of drama.

By contrast, the BBC at times depicted its own journey as perilous. The BBC’s technology correspondent worried about “range anxiety” of electric cars and impending snow flurries. Milligan even dressed in Arctic expedition gear to ward off hypothermia — despite the fact that objective EV experts have long been dispelling the myth that electric vehicles aren’t four-season vehicles.

Peilow, who enjoys Tesla’s electric seat warmers and other interior amenities, spent a fine day in Edinburgh after his record-setting journey. He had hoped to do an on-camera interview with the BBC correspondent, to communicate the true abilities of electric vehicles with lithium ion batteries. With no sign of an impending BBC arrival, he left Edinburgh in the Roadster and plans to continue his road trip to Belfast and elsewhere before returning to London this weekend.

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