We are delighted to be welcoming the London to Brighton Electric Vehicle Rally to Brighton & Hove tomorrow, Saturday 18 September, brought to you by The Big Lemon and proudly sponsored by EDF.

The first pure electric vehicle rally in England, the London to Brighton Electric Vehicle Rally is being held to celebrate the rapid development of electric vehicles and renewable energy technology (and to have a lot of fun!)

The event was due to take place in July but was postponed due to rising Covid cases in Brighton & Hove. Fortunately, recent data confirms that Covid cases are now falling in the city, so the event can go ahead.

The event marks the transition of The Big Lemon’s bus fleet to zero-emissions, which began with the launch of the UK’s first solar-powered electric bus in 2017, and will be complete this autumn with the addition of four Higer STEEDs and three Optare Versa EVs, adding to the existing fleet of eight Optare Solo EVs and an electric minibus.

The Rally Finish

Members of the public are being welcomed to watch the vehicles cross the finish line, from 12 noon tomorrow, Saturday 18th September. BBC Radio Sussex Breakfast Show host Allison Ferns will be providing live commentary as the vehicles cross the line.

Sustainability and Inclusivity

The London to Brighton Electric Vehicle Rally is also aiming to raise the bar for sustainable and inclusive events:

• Public Transport category to promote sustainable public transport
• Tiered pricing to make it affordable for everyone
• Free entry for the public on Madeira Drive
• All power generation on site is renewable, with biodiesel generators where necessary
• Zero-emissions electric go-karts for children
• Awards for the least amount of energy consumed in each class
• Keeping the Madeira Drive cycle lane open throughout, to encourage active travel to the event and ensure we do not disrupt active travel in the city during the event.

The event will finish with a Prize-giving ceremony at The Grand with awards for the lowest amount of energy used in each category:

• e-bikes
• e-motorbikes
• city car
• saloon car
• SUV
• van
• minibus
• bus
• truck
• self-built vehicles

and for the public transport category the award will be for the quickest time and the greatest number of different modes .

Covid Safety

Event organisers have gone to great lengths to create an event that is as Covid-safe as possible with social distancing throughout the event. The EVillage at the Finish Line on Madeira Drive is fully outdoors, and at the prize-giving ceremony numbers have been restricted to 1/3 of the room capacity to enable physical distancing.