The world's foremost eco-friendly motor show returns to the Eden Project this spring, sponsored by The Co-operative Insurance and featuring a wide range of the greenest cars on the planet.
The Co-operative Insurance Sexy Green Car Show will run from May 23-31 at the home of the world's biggest plant Biomes, near St Austell in Cornwall.
Both The Co-operative Insurance and Eden intend to build on the success of last year's first-ever show by having more vehicles on display - and by testing their green credentials at what is normally a car-free zone.
Among the major manufacturers showing off their latest low-emission cars will be Ford, Citroen, Honda, Peugeot, Saab, Fiat and Volkswagen.
Announcing the headline sponsorship today, David Neave, Director of General Insurance, at The Co-operative Insurance said: "Following the unrivalled success of last year's event The Co-operative Insurance is delighted to be able to support the Sexy Green Car Show once again.
"We are firm believers that every person can make a 'tiny difference' to climate change. There is now firm evidence that suggests motor vehicle emissions are having a detrimental impact on the environment.
"The combination of more 'greener' cars being manufactured and the wider use of unique motor insurance products like our own, that offsets some of the damage that their car's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions contribute to the environment, at no extra cost to them, allows drivers to do just that."
Eden's Gus Grand, the show's executive producer, said: "The show will be bigger and more animated than last year when the first-ever Sexy Green Car Show attracted world-wide interest among car makers, the media and the public.
"The greenest cars from the world's biggest manufacturers will be on show - and smaller British car-makers who will also be at the show will have some surprises up their sleeves.
"The whole of the Eden site will be used this year, with more animation, demonstrations, exhibits and talks taking place.
"On the opening day, we will host a conference called Future Perfect - Here Now! It will show how science fiction is becoming science fact in car manufacture. There will be other big events throughout the show and at least one major new eco car launch is planned."
Gus Grand added: "If the UK is serious about cutting its carbon emissions from road transport by 80 per cent by 2050, as the recent King Review of low carbon cars says is possible, then the Sexy Green Car Show points to the way forward by showing some of the least harmful cars on the planet, and proving that green can be sexy too."
Eden is delighted to be working again with sponsor The Co-operative Insurance after a very successful collaboration at last year's high-profile show.
Notes:
* Eden Project Limited is owned by the Eden Trust, which is a fully registered UK Charity (No. 1093070).
* Eden is home to the two biggest greenhouses in the world - the Rainforest Biome and Mediterranean Biome.
* Around 1.2 million visitors come to Eden per year and it has generated £800 million for the local economy.
* So far capital funding of £135 million to develop Eden has been raised from a combination of £58 million from the Millennium Commission Lottery Fund, £50 million in regional grants from the South West Regional Development Agency and Objective One European Regional Development Fund, and £27 million in the form of loans, lease finance and Eden's own revenue generation.
* Immediate information may be obtained from our website: www.edenproject.com.
For more information, please contact:
David Rowe
Head of Press and Public Relations
The Eden Project
01726 811901
mobile: 0781 304 1923
email: drowe@edenproject.com
Duncan Bowker
Public Relations Manager
The Co-operative Financial Services
0161 827 5617
mobile: 07810 756 137
e-mail: duncan.bowker@co-operative.co.uk