THE WORLD’s first electric car specially made for five to 10-year-olds is to launch to the general public in Malvern for the first time next month.
Designed, engineered and manufactured in the Midlands, Firefly is the brainchild of Young Driver Motor Cars Limited, a division of Young Driver – the UK’s largest provider of pre-17 driving lessons.
Children will be able to have lessons in the Firefly for the first time at the Three Counties Showground on Sunday, February 19 on a specially created outdoor course.
The price of a 20 minute lesson (inclusive of a 5 minute briefing period) is £19.95. Young Driver also offers lessons at the venue for 10-17 year olds in a dual control Skoda Citigo.
While Young Driver has already provided more than 400,000 lessons for youngsters aged 10 – 17 it became clear that there was nothing suitable for those aged under 10 to drive. The creation of Firefly means that Young Driver can now offer lessons specifically developed for this younger age group.
The first two-seater Firefly cars were revealed in pre-production prototype form last April at the Gadget Show Live.
Since then, the company has continued to develop, test and refine Firefly, working with leading designers and UK automotive suppliers to create the finished product which handles and drives like a full-sized car.
The Firefly technical spec includes hydraulic disc brakes, rack and pinion steering, independent suspension, an electronic tablet based dashboard and an eye catching body styled by veteran car designer Chris Johnson, who has 30 years’ experience in automotive design working for manufacturers including Rover, Jaguar, Ford and Volvo.
Firefly is powered by a state of the art electric drive train featuring twin electric motors enabling a top speed restricted to 10mph.
The driver’s seat can be adjusted, allowing most youngsters aged from five to 10 to reach the pedals. An adult of up to 6ft can also drive, or be a passenger within the vehicle.
Whilst the product was initially developed for use by Young Driver, it will also eventually be available for purchase worldwide by members of the general public with a price tag in the region of £5,750 + VAT.
Kim Stanton, from Young Driver, said: “Last September we were delighted to officially launch Firefly, the first electric car aimed at five to 10 year olds, and now it’s great that youngsters can try the car out for themselves at our popular Young Driver venue in Malvern.
“Firefly has taken over a year to come together and involved the hard work of many talented and experienced people from the UK’s vibrant and successful automotive industry. We were surprised that nothing existed for this age range other than plastic toys, and it felt like we had to take up the challenge and run with it!
“Firefly is something very special, it’s a real car in its own right, designed, engineered and manufactured in the Midlands. We know that youngsters will enjoy driving it and that through this they will learn about road safety, finding out about the basics of driving and gaining a better understanding of how it feels to be behind the wheel. That can only be of benefit when it comes to them being pedestrians, cyclists and future motorists out there on the roads.”
For more information about Young Driver and Firefly and to book a lesson visit www.youngdrivermotorcars.com.
