Bridgestone Eco-Rally to return July 31

Following a successful 2010, the Bridgestone Eco-Rally returns this year in association with Start. This year the eco-friendly vehicles participating in the event will traverse a new route that begins in Broad Street, Oxford and finishes at The Mall in London after taking in a pit stop at the BRE Innovation Centre in Watford. This year’s Bridgestone Eco-Rally takes place on July 31 and culminates with a free to attend green transport exhibition. Counted amongst the vehicle manufacturers that have already signed up to this year’s event are Mitsubishi, Volvo, Aston Martin, Lotus, Nissan, Ford, Tesla and Honda. Bridgestone also states that a host of celebrities – who will be named at a later date – will drive the vehicles.

“Following the success of last year’s event, Bridgestone is delighted to be involved again with this year’s Eco-Rally,” said Bridgestone UK communications manager Andy Dingley. “It is a fantastic event which showcases the vehicles of the future and really shows off the versatility of the different, environmentally-friendly options out there. Bridgestone is committed to reducing the impact of motoring on the environment for current and future generations and this year’s Bridgestone Eco-Rally is set to be bigger and better than ever.”

The Eco-Rally event has been supported by luminaries from the worlds of politics, entertainment, sport and the arts, such as Boris Johnson, motoring journalist Quentin Willson, Energy and Climate Change secretary Chris Huhne, television presenter Kevin McCloud, national journalist Lucy Siegle, and F1 drivers Eddie Irvine and Nico Hulkenberg.

The event is organised by Revolve, a London-based independent cleantech consultancy committed to accelerating the market for zero emission transport. “Our research last year showed almost a quarter of people in the UK would not consider buying or driving an eco-friendly vehicle and of that number, almost half (43 per cent) believe electric and hydrogen-powered cars and motorbikes would be a hassle to fill up or charge,” commented Revolve spokesperson Steven Glaser. “However, every year the technology moves on and the offering to consumers becomes ever more real. This year’s event promises to be a different proposition with even more groundbreaking vehicles – including two, three, four and even six-wheelers – together with a fresh route and iconic landmarks as backdrops to add an exciting new twist.”

Further information about the Bridgestone Eco-Rally can be found at the www.eco-rally.org website.