A MORAY FIRM is aiming to dispel the myths of electric powered vehicles not lasting the course – by backing such a car in the gruelling Mongol Rally.
Forres-based firm AES Solar is to sponsor a competitor in the rally which takes competitors through a 10,000mile route over Europe, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia.
They will sponsor the Plug In Adventures’ challenge in the rally – the first time ever an electric vehicle has attempted to complete the event.
George Goudsmit, managing director of AES Solar, said this was just the type of adventure that his company seeks to support: “This ticks so many boxes with AES Solar – it is exciting, it is ground breaking and above all, it is harnessing the use of solar energy.
“The team at Plug In Adventures is very forward thinking and innovative, much like the team at AES Solar and when we were approached, there was no way that we wouldn’t want to get involved.
“Attacking the Mongol Rally in this way can only do good things for the solar industry. So many people panic about having electric vehicles. They fear they won’t be able to charge them or that the batteries won’t last – this challenge will dispel all of these myths.”
Chris Ramsay from Plug In Adventures said he was delighted to have AES Solar on board: “We approached AES Solar because they are an ambitious and exciting local business – and we also thought it just made sense, electric vehicles and solar panels are a great partnership at homes and businesses around the world, helping people to harness the sun and charge their cars.
“AES Solar’s products, combined with EV’s can play a big part in helping reverse the impact to our climate, and our adventure aims to promote this is exciting and engaging way.
“This EV adventure will captivate a worldwide audience and will spark real debates and challenge long standing myths, still surrounding EVs today. People get anxious about the EV’s range, whether there is somewhere to charge it or that sometimes it takes too long to charge. Our trek will highlight these concerns and hopefully show that they are easily overcome.”
Chris and his co-driver, wife Julie will tackle the challenge in their Mongol Rally Nissan LEAF, with their participation raising money for charities CoolEarth and WWF Scotland.
“As soon as I announced that I was entering the first ever electric car into the rally, the response was just incredible,” explained Chris, “once Nissan GB heard about my project, to their credit they offered to help share my story which for me was too good an offer to turn down as it allowed me to get my message out to a global audience.
“Since then my story has appeared on nearly every car website on the internet and featured in newspapers around the globe. I have received good luck messages from people from all over the world, and my adventure has started to spark debates and got the general public talking, which is one of my key goals.”