On Monday 2nd March visited Electric Classic
Cars in Newtown and Riversimple in Llandrindod Wells,
discussing the future of electric vehicles and how the
businesses can be best supported to expand.
Electric Classic Cars offers conversion of classic cars to
100% electric. It has worked on vehicles including the Range
Rover Classic, Ferrari 308 and BMW CSi.
The Riversimple Rasa is a hydrogen fuelled car, emitting
nothing but pure water and eliminating the need for
batteries. The business plans to move from car sales to a
subscription service.
Together they are moving away from fossil fuel based cars,
but in very different ways. Both companies have plans for
expansion and are working to meet the future demands of road
transport. The UK Government recently said it would bring
forward a ban on petrol, diesel and hybrid cars to 2035.
The Welsh Government has stated its intention to support the
shift to low carbon transport. Its most recent budget
contained £29m to transition to low emission vehicles, as
part of wider investment in green transport. This year will
also see the publication of an electric vehicle charging
strategy for Wales which will outline in greater detail the
Welsh Government’s role in promoting electric cars.
Additionally, a hydrogen strategy for Wales will be an
integrated component of Wales's next low-carbon delivery plan
for 2021-25.
, Minister for Economy,
Transport and North Wales, said:
“Low carbon transport is essential in tackling the climate
emergency, and we are providing more and more support to
help the shift to greener methods of travel.
“This was a fascinating visit to two companies who are
thinking innovatively about the future of cars. There is
significant expertise in both Electric Classic Cars and
Riversimple, so this was a great opportunity to hear about
their future plans and discuss how we can help them grow.”
Richard Morgan, Founder of Electric Classic Cars,
commented:
“Electric Classic Cars are the world’s largest converter of
classic cars to electric and are proud to be based in
Mid-Wales, an area steeped in the rally motorsport
heritage. We’re passionate about futureproofing classic
cars for the 21st century and maintaining
our market leading position in this rapidly evolving
market.”
Hugo Spowers, MD of Riversimple Movement,
said:
“Our ambition is to develop a world-class hydrogen cluster
and manufacturing jobs distributed across Wales, so we are
delighted by the government’s commitment to a Welsh
hydrogen strategy.”
