Route 57 Press Release

UK & Ireland’s answer to Route 66 to be driven… in an electric car!

2,500 mile bucket list road trip is being driven for the first time this April.

The official ‘Route 57’ electric car will be hitting the road and heading through 57 must-see destinations across England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The road trip runs from 6- 26 April, starting in Plymouth and ending in Galway, visiting villages, towns, and cities along the way.

Route 57 was designed as the UK and Ireland’s answer to US Route 66, by Jurys Inn Hotels who are supplying accommodation along the way, to the driver, motoring journalist Jess Shanahan. Jess will be doing the road trip in a KIA Soul EV supplied by electric car leasing company DriveElectric, and stopping at charging stations along the route, mapped out by ZapMap.

As well as promoting local tourism, the campaign’s use of an electric vehicle (EV) seeks to challenge common myths around electric cars. A recent survey by the AA (infographic available for use as long as credit with a link to source is given) shows that the ‘range’ of an EV is one of the top reasons why people are not buying electric cars. The Route 57 campaign will show that these perceptions do not match reality with today’s green car technology, and that an electric car can drive more than 2,580 miles across four countries.

Jess will be posting updates on the Route 57 website: www.route57.org.uk along with Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram – and taking driving music suggestions through the Twitter hashtag #route57, or adding them directly to the Route 57 Spotify playlist. Audiobook suggestions are also welcome – Jess will be fittingly listening to Bill Bryson’s ‘Notes from a Small Island’ to begin with.

More information & contact:

See Route 57 Media Pack and/or contact: Ardziv Simonian asimonian@agenda21digital.com
Phone: +44 (0)2070360774, Mobile: 07735808868
Additional notes:

Jurys Inns Hotels designed the original Route 57 road trip as an equivalent to US Route 66, which has a similar mileage and drive-time, to help people explore the UK & Ireland, and encourage local tourism
An estimated 200,000 people travel from across America and the world every year to drive all or part of the iconic Route 66 (1) stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles, providing jobs and revenue from tourists which generates millions of dollars for locations along the route. (2)
Route 66 has great historical and cultural significance, forming part of a ‘bucket list’ for many people, and ranked by Britons in the top 10 of ‘things to do before you die’. (3)
Sources:
(1) Route 66 Recommissioning Initiative: http://www.bringbackroute66.com/theplan.html

(2)Route 66 Economic Impact Study, by Rutgers University: https://www.wmf.org/publication/route-66-economic-impact-study-synthesis-findings

(3) Average British bucket list 2014, survey by Engage Mutual: http://www.onefamily.com/our-story/media-centre/2014/surprises-in-average-british-bucket-list/