Solar EV drive shows UK's hidden beauty

A former BBC Formula 1 commentator has driven the length of the UK in an electric vehicle (EV) using only solar power, describing the journey as a reminder of "how beautiful" the country is.

Jeremy Hart, from Surrey, led a team of four people on the 1,000 mile (1,609km) journey from Lands End to John O'Groats.

The group stopped off en route to charge the car at solar farms as well as carrying a portable lithium battery.

Hart said the family car could travel "about 200 miles" on a full charge and they had no significant delays en route, on the challenge called EaseeSunRun.

He said: "We were very lucky, we only had one road closed on the journey which added about 25 miles but we had enough juice to get where we were planning to.

"The biggest challenge actually came before we started, as low fog made it difficult to actually get to Land's End to start.

"We could charge but not as well as usual, but luckily the sun came out and we could charge up.

"We arrived at John O'Groats with 5% charge left on the car."

Hart, who has travelled to over 100 countries around the world, said the long journey made him acknowledge how beautiful the UK is.

The route he took was "wonderful", he said.

It involved leaving Cornwall, going via Devon, Wiltshire and Somerset and then driving across the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales.

He said: "It makes you realise how beautiful the UK is and how fabulous some of the roads are."

He added that lots of people showed interest in solar energy when he stopped off on the journey.

"While the sun is our friend, it should also be treated with a lot of respect.

"It can give us the power to combat climate change," he added.

The EaseeSunRun challenge aimed to highlight the potential of solar-powered transport for long-distance travel.

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