Camden Electric Vehicle Display

The Camden Green Transport Expo showcased a range of electric vehicles and other transport solutions that can save owners money and help to improve the air quality in London.

The vehicles ranged from electric cars to electric bikes, and even electric commercial vehicles. Visitors were also able to test drive the electric Nissan LEAF .

Modern electric vehicles are refined, easy to drive, and have very low running costs compared to petrol and diesel vehicles. They are exempt from the London congestion charge , and most are eligible for the government plug-in car grant , which can provide a subsidy of up to £5000 towards the purchase price.

As well as having no carbon dioxide emissions at the point of use, they also emit no particulates or other emissions that have a negative impact upon local air quality. In short, the latest electric vehicles are ideal for use in Camden and surrounding areas of London.

Electric cars on display included the Nissan LEAF
, a five-seater hatchback that has won the European Car of the Year award. A LEAF was also available for test drives.

The all-electric Citroen C-Zero and Peugeot iOn were also on display at the event; both cars are five-door hatchbacks that are an ideal, compact size for negotiating London’s busy roads.

The all-electric Citroen C-Zero is available from Citroen London West .

The all-electric Peugeot iOn
has four doors, four seats, and a range of up to 80 miles.

To show that electric power is also ideal for light commercial vehicles in the London area, Allied Electric
displayed an electric eExpert minibus .

The electric eExpert minibus has a range of 95 miles and a top speed of 65 mph.

For people who may consider using an electric car occasionally, but don’t necessarily want to buy one, then hiring an electric car makes complete sense. Two car hire companies were at the event, Green Motion
and Hertz
.

Green Motion
had a Citroen C-Zero and a Citroen C3 on the stand.

Hertz On Demand displayed an electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV that currently operates within its car club network in Camden (Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Holborn). Hertz on Demand members benefit from access to vehicles across all major cities in the UK and 7 other countries. Members also get preferential rental rates for longer term booking through Hertz across the globe.

Cyclists were also well catered for, with electric bikes on display from three companies, 3e-ltd
, e-bikes direct
, and Spencer Ivy
– and visitors had the chance to test ride their products. Download the Electric Bike Buyers Guide .

3e-ltd

e-bikes direct

Spencer Ivy

TfL Source London
had a stand promoting electric vehicle charging points across London.

There was also an activities and performances area on the square including a BMX stunt show and workshops showing how to do stunt tricks, as well as free on-road cycle training sessions.

The Camden Green Transport Expo took place in Fitzroy Square on Saturday 24 September. The event was designed to raise awareness of more sustainable methods of travel in Camden, and it was free to attend.

There were also other linked events, including a ‘White Sound’ installation on Euston Road, which changes the sound of cars and traffic to the sound of the sea via a live link to Chesil Beach in Dorset. The installation aims to raise awareness of vehicle pollution and its contribution to global sea level rise through climate change. The sound installation runs from 22 September – 16 October.

Walking tours departed from a meeting point on Fitzroy Square and travelled through the local area to the ‘White Sound’ installation, and pedal-powered pedibuses linked the Green Transport Expo to ‘Eat in the Street’. This food and drink event took place in a car-free zone on Charlotte Street, between Goodge Street South and Percy Street. Within the car-free zone, restaurants were able to extend their outdoor trading areas to fill the full width of the pavement.