The future of car motoring at MotoExpo in Cheltenham
THE man behind this weekend's motor show is ready to give people a sneak preview of the future.
Peter Allison, who has been responsible for several Cheltenham festivals, says the Sustainable MotoExpo 2012 will be all about "moving forward".
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EXPO EXPERIENCE: Pete Allison, of the Sustainable MotoExpo 2012, with a Vauxhall Ampera
The two-day festival, which kicks off tomorrow, will play host to cars from the future.
Low-carbon, modern cars and go-karts will take the stage in front of the Municipal Offices.
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Peter said the glimpse into the future of motor racing would encourage people to discuss the possibilities of a greener future.
He said: "Electric vehicles are where the money is going and where development is at the moment.
"I don't have a doubt this is the future of motor racing."
Mr Allison added: "It is clear it represents serious moving forward.
"It will give the companies involved a chance to communicate their plans to the public, and for them to understand these things better."
The show will feature key speakers, including Vince Cable MP, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, and broadcaster Robert Llewellyn, star of Red Dwarf and Scrapheap Challenge.
The expo is just the first steps towards a regulated low-carbon street race, which is planned for Cheltenham next year.
Mr Allison, who also planned Greenbelt and the Wychwood Festival, said: "Cheltenham is a great transport centre. It is only two hours away from London, and ideal for our use.
"You'd have to look a long way to find somewhere better.
"Cheltenham hosts a phenomenal number of events and this town really understands events."
The title sponsor for the expo is Qualcomm Incorporated, a world leader in 3G and next generation wireless technology.
Qualcomm is pioneering the development of wireless electric vehicle charging technology as a way of bringing the vehicles to the public.
An education booth will also be set up as part of the expo, with teams from St Edward's and Chosen Hill schools displaying electric cars they built themselves through a scheme by Greenpower Trust.
Amy Jones, 17, from St Edward's school, said: "I want to study engineering at university. It was really interesting to be involved in a green project."
Comments
by gallopingbear
Sunday, September 09 2012, 10:43AM
“By 'Paddock' you mean the inner promenade? And it was not closed-it was restricted to VIPs only, so a bunch of local people were excluded from their own street. In actual fact it was funded at least in part by tax payers money. A quick google search reveals £10,000 was administered by CBC https://democracy.cheltenham.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=3954
Elgoog makes a perfectly valid point. Rickshaws are very eco-friendly, more so than any cars. Surely if you are advocating eco friendly transport you cant reject an idea which champions this. ..But of course rickshaws don't make money for the people selling 'environmentally friendly cars'....”
by pingu61
Sunday, September 09 2012, 9:23AM
“The paddock was only closed after 5pm. Between 10pm and 5pm it was completely open, and will be on Sunday. The same goes for the town hall, with exhibitions of electric racing cars builts by pupils several local secondary schools, as well as a couple of UK Universities.
The event was not paid for by any taxes.
This event is showcasing leading-edge technologies, primarily for UK designers and engineering students. That is the future and that is what this event is about.
Elgoog - You may not need this, but the country does. Although I agree that the rickshaws are a good idea. Some of the technologies being showcased may well be of use to future rickshaw designs.
Lecorche -Agreed but I would say "as well as" instead of "rather than". The two are not mutually exclusive. The event organisers think so too. The opening talk, which was free, was about that very subject.”
by gallopingbear
Saturday, September 08 2012, 7:40PM
“I went to have a look at this. It was rubbish. They had completely sealed off the area so you couldn't even get to the war memorial, shops or restaurants on that side of the promenade. Nobody was actually allowed in to see the cars because it was only open to vip's. Although we heard the best cars were the ones on display outside of the barricades-which weren't even eco friendly. To top it off we were then removed from the pavement so that they could take photos of the cars in front of the fountain-so we all had to wwalk into the road, narrowly missing a bus.
So everyone around was very annoyed. Cheltenham residents were basically treated very rudely. I only hope that this event wasn't funded by tax payers money!
Of course, most of us want more eco friendly cars and to cut down on pollution, but in the opinion of myself and the other few dozen people there-this event did not encourage that and was just a nuisance to everyone except those who want to swan around pretending to be do-gooders and taking over our town.”
by elgoog
Saturday, September 08 2012, 12:37PM
“We don't need this. Rickshaws such as those proposed for Montpellier would help to reduce the unemployment problem and improve the environment.”
by Lecorche
Saturday, September 08 2012, 9:33AM
“I'd rather see better public transport getting as much attention.
If local buses were free or at a nominal fare and a Metro style light rail network was built,there would be fewer demands on our need to drive into towns as commuters. Non drivers would be in clover.”
by Bonkim2003
Saturday, September 08 2012, 9:02AM
“Can you motor without a car or have a car without motoring?”