July 16, 2010 VANCOUVER - One of the world's fastest electric cars arrived in Vancouver today, its first stop on a historic journey.
The Racing Green Endurance (RGE) left Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, on July 4, headed for Ushuaia, Argentina, and the record books. After its 84-day journey through 14 counties, the RGE will become the first electric car to travel the full 26,000 km of the Pan-American Highway.
KPMG International is sponsoring the RGE, which was built and is being driven by a team of 11 students from the Imperial College London. KPMG and the students hope that the journey will generate excitement and interest in electric vehicles while promoting innovation in green technologies.
"Every generation has challenges to face. Climate change is a major challenge today and KPMG is committed to supporting our young people's efforts to impact positive change," said Lorne Burns, Leader of KPMG's Climate Change and Sustainability practice in the Greater Vancouver Area. "We are proud to be sponsoring the RGE and the work of our Sustainability and Global Automotive groups, which contribute to the advancement of alternative fuels and green technologies."
KPMG has had a Sustainability practice based out of Vancouver since 1995; it works with clients to help better understand environmental and sustainability issues across diverse sectors, including forestry, energy, aquaculture, agriculture, banking, and industrial markets. KPMG's Global Automotive practice contributes to the advancement of alternative fuels and green technologies through its work with automotive companies, parts manufacturers, dealerships, and the commercial vehicle industry.
The Radical SR8, one of the world's fastest gas-powered race cars, was converted to create the RGE, which is a high-performance electric vehicle with over 400 horsepower, reaching top speeds of up to 200 km/hr.
Quotes"Every generation has challenges to face. Climate change is a major challenge today and KPMG is committed to supporting our young people's efforts to impact positive change," said Lorne Burns, Leader of KPMG's Climate Change and Sustainability practice in the Greater Vancouver Area. "We are proud to be sponsoring the RGE and the work of our Sustainability and Global Automotive practice groups, which contribute to the advancement of alternative fuels and green technologies."
"The longest road on the planet would be the ultimate test of endurance for any car. The students hope that driving the RGE across diverse terrain and over extreme distances will raise awareness about the benefits of electric vehicles and dispel the public perception of electric cars as slow and unattractive, with a limited range," said Andy Hadland, PR Director for Racing Green Endurance.
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