The availability of a £5,000 Government grant towards the purchase of a new electric vehicle (EV) from 4 January onwards has prompted BBC Breakfast correspondent Brian Milligan to embark on a 400-mile drive in an EV from London to Edinburgh. Milligan will recharge his EV at nine different roadside EV charging stations, seven of which are innovative Elektrobays, designed, manufactured and maintained by Brighton-based Elektromotive. The company has helped Milligan to plan his route with their EB Connect networking software and has issued him with the necessary wireless access keys required for his epic journey.

The anticipated increase of EVs on UK roads in 2011, resulting from an influx of new production EVs coupled with the Government grant, is expected to highlight the growing need for a comprehensive nationwide charging infrastructure.

Milligan will begin his EV challenge on Monday 10 January from London and travel to nine separate charging point locations before reaching his final destination on Friday 14 January. Throughout the week Milligan’s progress will be followed by BBC Breakfast viewers.

“It will be interesting to see how Brian grapples with the practicalities of powering an EV over such a long distance,” comments Elektromotive managing director, Calvey Taylor-Haw. “At present, undertaking such a trip in an EV takes quite some planning, as recharging points are still relatively low in number and are concentrated in a few major cities. We wish Brian the best of luck for his journey, and are confident that his experiences will highlight how Elektromotive is driving the fledgling EV revolution.”