EEMS Accelerate

A fleet of high-performance electric cars is being handed to British driving enthusiasts for 12 months of real-world testing. The EEMS Accelerate project, backed by Innovate UK, aims to solve a stubborn problem: electric vehicles are still seen by many as slow or impractical, even as their engineering has advanced. By putting cutting-edge British-designed EVs into daily use—for commuting, leisure, and everything in between—the project gathers hard data on how drivers actually behave. Specialist GPS trackers record trip frequency, range, distance between charges, and charging patterns, revealing how habits shift as drivers grow accustomed to EV controls and battery management. If the project succeeds, it could reshape public perception of electric performance vehicles, proving they are not just sustainable but thrilling to drive. That shift matters for the clean energy transition: changing attitudes among driving enthusiasts can accelerate adoption, reduce emissions, and showcase high-end British engineering to a global audience. The immediate impact is on consumer behaviour and market demand, not on infrastructure or grids—but a change in what people want to drive is a change in what gets built.