Best Range Extender EV award for Proton Exora Hybrid at UK

10 November 2010 - A new motoring challenge for electric, hybrid and low-emission Cars, LCV’s and Motorcycles to use the lowest energy on a 60 mile route from Madeira Drive, Brighton to Pall Mall and Regent Street, London.

The Proton Exora Hybrid has been awarded the top prize in the Extended Range EV (E-REV) category at the Brighton to London Future Car Challenge held over the weekend. Organised by Royal Automobile Club, the inaugural event involved 64 eco-friendly vehicles taking part in a 60-mile drive from Madeira Drive, Brighton to Pall Mall, London. The aim is to use as little fuel as possible to complete the entire course.

All vehicles from different segments must feature one of these four powertrains: Electric (EV), Extended Range EV (E-REV), Hybrid (HEV) or Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) emitting up to 110 grams/km of carbon dioxide. There was a total of 13 winners, including the Volkswagen Golf Blue-e-motion Electric, BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics Diesel, Lotus Elise S1 Electric, Honda CR-Z Hybrid and the Exora E-REV.

The Exora E-REV outperformed its only competitor, the Vauxhall Ampera E-REV, by consuming a mere 2.2 litres of petrol throughout the challenge. The fully-electric Proton Saga EV failed to shine in the face of strong competition, however. The two green Proton models are the result of a collaboration with Frazer-Nash Research Limited, a U.K.-based engineering firm founded in the 1920s that now specialises in the development of electric and hybrid vehicles.

There are a total of 12 category winners plus one overall winner per vehicle type. The overall best car entry was the Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion. Other than the Exora, Proton had also entered a fully electric Proton Saga EV. The Saga EV was driven by an engineer from Frazer-Nash, a company assisting Proton with the development of hybrid technologies.