LET'S GET A MOVE ON

To celebrate the l aunch of our siste brand Move Electric, Matt Prior and friends try to set EV lap r ecords at Brands Hatch

- Matt Prior

I am powering through the first corner at Brands Hatch, the incredibly steep and treacherous off camber Paddock Hill Bend, clinging onto my machine as it maxes out.

I hit the bottom and start the climb towards the Druids Hairpin. Gravel and kerbs rush past. The incline kicks in and my machine slows from its gravity-assisted maximum. Yes, the 25kph readout on the speedometer becomes 24, 23, 22, 20, 17, 13… and I start to scoot. My leg starts to hurt. The turn is still a very long way away.

The idea was simple. Autocar’s publisher has set up a new website called Move Electric (moveelectric. com) to cover (you guessed it) all forms of electric mobility. To celebrate the launch and highlight its broad remit, the team has decamped to Brands for the day to attempt to set seven electric lap records on and in various two- and four-wheel conveyances. Fortunately, no such records already exist.

Even more fortunately, I’m on the Indy Circuit, not the full Grand Prix layout. Although as I cross the line, now thankfully largely under the Perry eHopper P4 scooter’s own power, my lap record of 5min 10.03sec (don’t forget those three hundredths) seems like quite long enough.

It’s the longest time by quite some margin, which goes to show the diversity of our assorted EVs.

In addition to the e-scooter (which, despite its speed, is still illegal on UK public roads), there’s a Gocycle G4 electrically assisted bicycle, an Apex Predator electric skateboard that can do the good side of 30mph, a RollsRoyce Phantom V electromodded by Lunaz and worth £1 million, a Silence S01 Connected moped, a Citroën ëDispatch XL van and a Tesla Model 3.