27.9.2012 Round the world in a Citroen C-ZERO

Citroen's C-Zero has become the first standard 100% electric car to drive around the world, driven on an 'Electric Odyssey' by a two-man team comprising engineers Xavier Degon and Antonin Guy.

The battery-powered vehicle successfully navigated through 17 countries to cover 15,500 miles, over an eight month period on just £202 worth of electricity.

Xavier and Antonin started their Electric Odyssey on Saturday 11 February 2012, setting off from Strasbourg and driving across Europe, North America, Japan, South East Asia, China and Russia, before re-entering Europe and finishing back in Strasbourg.

Helping the pair along the way was the generosity of each country as members of the public donated their plug sockets to give the C-Zero its daily charge. People who offered electricity to charge the C-Zero became affectionately known as 'Pluggers'.

Some countries, such as Japan and many European countries, have reasonably established charging point networks, which the pair were able to use at some points. There are now almost 3,000 charging points across the UK, available for electric vehicles to use.

The tour aimed to promote the image of electric vehicles to the greater public as a practical, environmentally considerate mode of transport that can meet daily driver requirements, whilst at the same time exceeding the expectations of what an electric vehicles can accomplish.

Beyond the technological challenge, the journey was also a human adventure, giving Xavier and Antonin the opportunity to meet, connect with and unite people from right across the world, experiencing kindness and generosity right throughout their travels.

The C-ZERO has a range of around 100 miles, depending on driving conditions, and was one of the first mass produced electric vehicles to reach the UK market. Over the next 12 months several new all-electric cars are expected to be launched in the UK, with improved specifications and battery technologies.

Newspress