Goodwood Festival of Speed is an iconic motoring event that many drivers schedule into their diary every year. Bringing such an array of automotive splendour from old school, to racing, to your everyday runner, there is something at this event for everyone.
All set within the stunning grounds of Goodwood Estate with the Goodwood house creating the perfect backdrop, and sitting center stage is the hillclimb track where you can see all your favourite machines show off their capabilities.
Sounds like every petrol heads dream, where does Drive Green fit in? Well, this year there has been a huge shift towards the electric vehicle market.
A dedicated Electric Avenue has been created and several manufactures have chosen to show off their ever-growing EV ranges. So here is our round up of our EV highlights at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2021 event.
Listed by Goodwood as the second must see item at the event, the Electric Avenue was truly a spectacle, you could not miss it.
Loud electric bass music and bright flashing lights instantly created an intrigue, and it was clear to see the amount of design that had gone into making the avenue as exciting as possible. The Avenue was filled with people all day long with manufacturer representatives running off their feet with enquiries on their vehicles.
What makes the Electric Avenue particularly interesting is that it was a collection of 27 different EV manufacturers pulled together to showcase the future of motoring. Such a huge range allowed for easy comparison and inspiration of what is to come. From your everyday family car to high performance sports cars, there was something for everyone to explore.
This really was a brilliant way to educate motorists on the EV market in a fun and modern way. We are looking forward to seeing how this develops at future events.
The hillclimb at the Festival of Speed is somewhat iconic amongst automotive enthusiasts and if you get the chance to go up the hill at the event, it is a real pleasure.
This year, Ford very kindly offered us a drive up the hill in their Mustang Mach-E. Now we have been lucky enough to have gone up the hill in a few cars in the past, but never have we been given the opportunity to drive it, so this was particularly special!
The recently launched Mustang Mach-E has really shaken up the old school perspective of Mustang, no longer is a V8 engine the only way to have fun.
The overall experience was a real mix of emotions from nerves to pure excitement. Stepping into the familiar cockpit did help somewhat, having spent some time in this amazing car earlier in the year. Once we got to the line, and the marshall indicated we could go, all of the nerves went, and the excitement took over.
The Mustang Mach-E feels so intuitive and despite the high power, torque and of course weight, the car gave a great sense of feel which allowed us to comfortably guide it to the top of the hill with a beaming smile all of the way!
Kia and Hyundai have really stepped up their game when it comes to their EV offering. Not only have they had a strong offering for a while now but, both the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 are a big step in a new direction for both manufacturers.
The design of both cars is quite dramatically different from what they have produced before with a real focus on efficiency and sustainability. Both manufacturers boast about the use of recycled materials for several parts in the car, for example they are using recycled bottles for the seat materials.
Don’t be mistaken in thinking these cars are the same, not only is the exterior look quite different, but also the interior look and feel is distinct.
Kia has not only reimagined their logo but have also really thought about the drivers experience in the car, hosting a dual curved 12.3” driver display screen with navigation, UVO connect (their phone app integration system), Augmented Reality heads up display, a customisable touch screen climate control panel, and a floating centre console.
Kia is also expecting the car to have over 300 mile range with ultra-fast charging, impressive considering the 0-60 time is 3.5 seconds. Lastly, Kia has already announced that the car will be able to tow up to 1600kg, something we haven’t seen from many other manufacturers.
Well, they are providing a unique ultimate comfort interior, with fully adjustable electric seats that enable you to fully recline, a sliding centre console so you can create more room in the front and provide a table space for those in the back, Bluelink connectivity allowing drivers to control aspects of the car via their mobile, and also a 12.3” touchscreen infotainment system.
The Ioniq 5 is expected to reach just under 300 miles of range with a ultra-fast charging time of 18 minutes, and 0-60mph in 5.2 seconds.
Both cars looked and felt like something you would see in a movie, the technology and design is so advanced and futuristic. It is fair to say these are both impressive and exciting vehicles for the manufacturers, and sure to be just a glimpse of what we can expect to see in the future.
Another real standout moment of the show, BMW’s Electric Boulevard. For regular attendees of the FOS, BMW often provides a real spectacle in the beautiful stable courtyard of Goodwood and it was a real testament to the growth of the EV market to see a manufacturer such as BMW turn this space into their EV showcase.
With 5 EVs on display, the i3, i4, iX, iX3, and the plug-in hybrid 5 series, drivers could get a good feel of the vision BMW has for their future of electric motoring. A great start to BMW’s promise of 9 new EV vehicles by 2025.
MINI yet again let their distinctive personality shine through on their MINI ‘Cooper Street’. A noticeably different look and feel from every other manufacturer showcase. A full MINI village display including a barber’s shop and cafe!
They brought the fun and uniqueness to entice even the sceptics in to investigate, and while MINI have yet to do anything overly drastic from an exterior design point, being a part of the BMW group shows, with the constant thrive for better performance and user experience.
The MINI Electric was the star of the show, being the headline of their ‘village’ in its own ‘Electric House’.
Walking around the event it was clear that the EV market is growing at a rapid pace and every manufacturer not only needs to have a slice of the pie, they need to push harder to innovate.
Ford chose to display only their electric and hybrid range on their stand this year, a bold statement to the future of the brand; which still drew in a huge crowd of loyal fans and intrigued motorists. Something we may see become more prevalent with other brands in the future.
This year’s central feature was hosted by Lotus, a futurist approach to ‘normal’ model features; they provided a virtual reality racetrack. Their brand flag draped the Goodwood house, and they provided an impressive stand to showcase their range of cars.
It is great to see a British brand such as Lotus showcase their EV hypercar, the Evija. The Evija is the first British EV hypercar, expected to be the lightest and most powerful ever to be produced. Lotus has managed to keep their distinctive exterior design but have added a futuristic twist with an interior that is completely unique. Certain to be a head turner, it will be exciting to see this car come into production and on the roads soon.
Polestar’s Precept vehicle was another creating huge intrigue, not only because of the incredibly unique design but also because of their stunningly crisp showcase. They ooze modern minimalism, with a very healthy approach to a sustainable footprint.
In fact, it was really great to see manufacturers focusing on their overall environmental impact and the education of its consumers. The motor industry has been a target for abuse over sustainability and compared to previous years at the event, green initiative was a real focus for all. Even Goodwood themselves encouraged more sustainable behaviour with the use of reusable cups and huge increase in recyclable materials from every vendor.
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