Cox Automotive and Ford have completed a 1,180-mile road trip round Britain in a prototype plug-in hybrid electric van to raise both awareness and funds for leading mental health charity, Mind.
Announced last month, the #chargingroundbritain tour driving challenge saw James Davis of Cox Automotive and Stephen Wright from Ford Motor Company travel from John O’Groats to Land’s End, raising £2,278 for Mind.
The road trip included stops at five Manheim auction centres, NextGear Capital and ALD Automotive, where Davis and Wright spent time talking about the challenge, collecting donations, and letting people pore over the prototype vehicle.
Davis said: “The prototype van performed faultlessly throughout the challenge and we were pleased with the level of engagement at the auction centres and businesses we visited.”
“Many people, including myself, have experienced anxiety, depression or other mental health challenges, so I’m delighted that we were able to use this tour as an opportunity to talk about just how common it is, and to raise so much money.”
It’s believed to be the first time a van with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain has undertaken this journey and including the journey to and from Ford’s Dunton facility in Essex the van travelled 2,189 faultless miles in seven days.
Commenting on the trip itself, Dave Petts, Ford Transit Custom PHEV lead, said: “The journey provided excellent exposure for our prototype Ford Transit Custom PHEV and has produced some fantastic data for us to review. Whilst not designed for such a journey it proves the van’s capability and eliminates any range anxiety.”
