Such is the challenge taken up by the 12 teams competing in eTourEurope. The drivers are big fans of their electric vehicles and want to show how easy EV travel can be. After Munich, Berne and Luxembourg, on May 20 they arrived at Flins, the plant that produces Renault ZOE. The event gave contestants the chance to talk with other EV addicts, on hand to support the eTourEurope initiative.
Starting out in Munich on May 19, eTourEurope is the longest electro-mobility rally in Europe. In nine days, the 12 teams will have driven over 4,200 km, or an average 450 km a day. So who said long-distance travel in EVs was impossible?
At the wheel of their electric cars, among them the Tesla Model S, Renault ZOE and Nissan Leaf, the participants are seeking to raise awareness of the performance of their electric vehicles and the reality of the charging infrastructure, and simply to pique the curiosity of the general public. So in addition to clocking up extensive mileage, their second major goal is to draw as many EV drivers as possible to their nine city destinations. In all, they hope to attract some 1,000 fans over the course of the rally. (Register online at the www.etoureurope.eu website.)
Stopping off today at Flins, the plant that pro
duces Renault ZOE, the drivers met up with loads of fans, who travelled to the site for the event, and with plant employees, some of whom own a ZOE, Fluence Z.E., Kangoo Z.E. or Twizy. The day-long event included a tour of the ZOE production workshops and battery assembly shops.
The contestants will be heading off to Brussels tomorrow, and then on to Amsterdam, Hamburg, Berlin, Prague, Bratislava, Budapest and Vienna.
Find out more about eTourEurope at the website: http://www.etoureurope.eu/