The London to Brighton EV Rally returned for its fifth year on Saturday 21st June, with RAC patrols attending as the official recovery partner for the route.
The event, which took place on what officially became the hottest day of the year to date, saw electric cars of all shapes and sizes take part - everything from the latest high-tech EVs to electrified classics and DIY conversions.
Founded in 2021 as a grassroots event designed to raise awareness and encourage the uptake of electric vehicles, the EV Rally is now a leading event in the EV community calendar. It attracts around 35,000 attendees each year, and over 120 vehicles take part.
The EV Rally follows the iconic London to Brighton route run by the Veteran Car Run for the last 129 years – but begins at Westminster City School instead of Hyde Park.
Running through South London and the West Sussex countryside, it ends at Madeira Drive – just beside Brighton Palace Pier on the seafront.
While the roughly 60-mile distance is certainly no issue for most modern electric cars, it’s morphed into an efficiency challenge. The most energy-efficient vehicle in each category (from city cars to SUVs and more) is declared the winner.
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The finishing line at Madeira Drive housed a lively atmosphere, with food, music and stalls from all sorts of companies looking to raise public awareness. Partners for the event included BYD, Hankook Tyre UK, Dinnages Ford Brighton, Believ and electric motorbike firm Maeving. Charity partner Macmillan Cancer Support was on site, too.
This year the event was also merged with Charge and Drive, a test drive experience giving the public access to a variety of EVs without the usual sales pressure they'd find on traditional dealer demos.
“This year marks a major milestone for the rally, and we’re incredibly proud of how far we’ve come,” said Harrison Hughes, EV Rally Event Director.
“What started as a small idea has grown into a nationally recognised event. We’ve brought together leading manufacturers, local communities, and thousands of EV enthusiasts—all while keeping sustainability at the heart of everything we do.”
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• Roadside cover from £5.49 a month*
• We get to most breakdowns in 60 mins or less
• Our patrols fix 4/5 breakdowns on the spot
*At least 10% of new customers pay this for single-vehicle Roadside (Basic). ^Find the same cover cheaper on theaa.com within 7 days & we'll beat it by 20%. T&Cs here.
