Green is Go at Camden's Green Motor Expo

Camden businesses and residents including TV presenter Gail Porter discovered a wide range of green transport options at Regent's Place last week. The Green Motor Expo hosted by London Borough of Camden and backed by Transport for London reflects the Council's commitment to tackle climate change, improving air quality and the environment both globally and locally for future generations.

It's really encouraging to hear that exhibitors are attracting serious enquiries about their eco-friendly vehicles, we are noticing a real willingness to switch to the greener option. We hope visitors leave knowing they can cut costs and emissions today without compromising on style or performance.
- Councillor Knight, executive member for environment, Camden Council

The hands-on event meant that visitors could really experience the eco transport scene including the opportunity to ride on a power assisted skate board, a whizz on a bike or scooter, test their eco-driving skills on a simulator, and finish with a drive around London in one of the many test drive vehicles available.

Two residents finally managed to beat Revolve and TfL's green transport experts in the last half hour of the eco-driving competition - winning a Navman satnav and year's free membership with Streetcar. The car-club displayed an Amberjac Prius – the UK’s first plug-in hybrid scheme.

Other Exhibit highlights included a new sportier version of the Volvo S40 DRIVe (What Car? 2009 Green Award winnner), Honda's new hybrid Insight (the cheapest mass production family hybrid on the market), the public debut of the Riversimple Urban Car prototype, and numerous greener commercial vehicles are already in use on London streets.

The event was opened by Cllr Moffit (leader of Camden Council) with presentations by Steve Steele (Head of TfL’s Freight Unit), Steven Glaser (Founder of Revolve) and real-world case studies by Alex Germais (Courier Systems) and David Clement-Horton (AV2Hire).

Gail Porter addressed the crowd via a PA system delivered by bicycle and made a ‘Green Promise’ to keep using low-carbon transport - she has already given up her 4X4 for a tandem. Camden Council hope that the event will inspire fellow Camden residents to do the same.

Steven Glaser, from event organisers Revolve said “We expect to display green transport in action around the country during the next 24 months. Nothing is ever as good as a hands-on event, we’re really encouraged by the enthusiasm of the visitors, the format of these one day events works really well”. Revolve would welcome feedback from expo visitors, via http://www.greenmotorexpo.com.