Ford Motor Company and Manheim parent Cox Automotive are teaming up to drive Ford’s new Transit Custom plug-in hybrid from John O’Groats to Land’s End in a bid to raise money for mental health charity, Mind.
The six-day ‘Charging Round Britain’ journey marks the first time a plug-in hybrid van has driven the entire length of the UK and will take place in a prototype of Ford’s new Transit Custom PHEV, piloted by James Davis from Cox Automotive and Ford’s Stephen Wright. The pair will set off this Sunday 26 May and arrive at Land’s End on Friday 31 May.
The van, one of 20 pre-production prototypes currently in fleet evaluation, will have its entire journey tracked and analysed.
Clients and team members of the firms will also have the chance to check out Ford’s new PHEV technology, with the tour due to stop at five Manheim CV auction centres, as well as NextGear Capital’s Chester head offices. The Ford Transit Custom PHEV will also visit ALD Automotive’s head offices in Bristol to celebrate the two organisations’ Ford Lease partnership.
James Davis, director of customer insight and strategy at Cox Automotive, said: “Ford and Cox Automotive have enjoyed a long standing global partnership. From an initial idea I’m so pleased to have developed this event with our friends at Ford. As well as raising awareness and experiencing this fantastic PHEV technology first hand, we’ll be raising money for Mind. I’ve suffered from mental health issues in my life, and in our male dominated industry we really need to be able to talk and share.”
To follow the pair’s progress use the hashtag #ChargingRoundBritain. Donations to Mind can be made via JustGiving: https://lnkd.in/eXZP3dH.
