Rebel Riders – The 522 Mile Cycle to Cop26 with William Ranieri – Day 3/9

On day 3, the cyclists ride from Milton Keynes to Loughborough on one their toughest day yet, and William Ranieri speaks to the owner of a ten-year-old electric vehicle. Electric vehicles have been produced in the UK for at least ten years, but only 1,082 people owned an electric car in 2011. That number has grown dramatically over the last decade, reaching 108,205 all-electric cars and 66,877 plug-in hybrids in 2020. William talks to Sean Walters, MaidEnergy Director, who has owned an electric car for ten years, about how the far the electric car charging system has come, how it’s free in Scotland but not England, and how to convince more people to drive electric.

Cyclist Tim Hunt talks about how people have been reacting to the Extinction Rebellion group along the route between Brighton & Glasgow. Some people have been annoyed, maybe just because they’re cyclists, but a lot of people have been honking in support of their journey. In Loughborough, the group attend a pub quiz where they meet locals who have come to meet them, including the Loughborough Quakers. John from the Quakers talks about their sustainability group, that aims to be active in encouraging people to be more aware of the climate crisis. They’ve also written a handbook about how we can reduce our own carbon footprints and encourage others to make their lifestyles more eco-friendly.

William Ranieri reports.