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Quentin Willson joins Transport + Energy editorial board

Motoring broadcaster and transport campaigner Quentin Willson has joined Transport + Energy’s editorial advisory board.

Quentin has been driving and campaigning for electric cars for over a decade. He was one of the first journalists to drive GM’s $1bn EV1 in 1996 for BBC Top Gear, has personally owned a Nissan Leaf, Citroen C-Zero, Vauxhall Ampera, Renault Zoe, Mitsubishi iMiev, Tesla Model 3 – and even a vintage 70s Enfield Electric – driven 70,000 miles in battery-only electric cars and campaigned with Boris Johnson for greater EV adoption.

While Jeremy Clarkson was pointing and laughing at electric cars, Quentin was experimenting with this new technology by driving and charging his own EVs every day. He’s given evidence on transport electrification to government Select Committees, House of Lords round tables and lobbied transport ministers and MPs for greater EV incentives and infrastructure. He won Green Fleet’s EV Champion in 2015 and was ranked 18th on Green Fleet’s list of Top 100 Global EV influencers for 2020. He currently drives a Tesla Model 3 everyday and owns the EV and charging campaigning website FairCharge. No journalist has deeper EV heritage or more passion for the subject than Quentin.

Speaking about joining the board, Quentin said: “I’m delighted to be joining Transport + Energy. Changing consumer perceptions towards zero-emission transport has proved much harder than anyone expected – not least me. I seem to have spent far too long trying to convince consumers, politicians and OEMs that electric cars are not a passing fad. Over the last 10 years the EV community has battled away, ably proving that battery technology not only works well but the whole life costs of EVs are now very close to petrol and diesel cars. But the myths, misapprehensions and downright nonsense directed towards electric cars still lingers like a bad smell. Helping dispel those myths and untruths is vitally important. I’m flattered to have been asked to help on this really important journey of thought leadership.”

Transport + Energy Editorial Director Alec Peachey said: “Quentin is one of the most recognisable TV presenters in this country with a vast knowledge of the automotive sector. Having presented motoring programmes such as Britain’s Worst DriverFifth Gear, and of course the original incarnation of Top Gear he doesn’t need much of an introduction from me. For more than a decade Quentin has been a huge advocate for electric vehicles and his background of campaigning speaks for itself. We are absolutely delighted that he has joined the editorial board and will use Transport + Energy as a platform to dispell some of the misinformation around EVs that is currently out there. It is vital that both the sectors continue to work together to do this and having Quentin join a group of likeminded professionals who have the same ambition will further strengthen the board.”

Quentin will be writing an exclusive monthly column for Transport + Energy.

He joins the following representatives on the editorial board: Gill Nowell, Director, EVA England; Philip New, Chair of Electric Vehicle Energy Taskforce and CEO of Energy Systems Catapult; Jacob Roberts, Transport Policy Manager at REA (The Association for Renewable Energy & Clean Technology); Jonathan Murray, Policy and Operations Director at Zemo Partnership; Jeremy Yapp, Head of Flexible Energy Systems at BEAMA; Paul Kirby, electric van expert and former head of LCV and EV strategy at Vanarama; Ross Easton, Director of External Affairs at Energy Networks Association; Dr Anthony Velazquez, Head of Environment and Decarbonisation at TRL (Transport Research Laboratory); Sara Sloman, Head of Future Mobility Partnerships, Elmtronics; Dr Russell Fowler, Senior Project Manager – Decarbonisation of Transport, National Grid; Jason Torrance, Assistant Executive Director, UK100; Ben Kilbey, Head of Communications, Britishvolt.

You can find out more information about the background of our editorial board members here.

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