The all-electric Firefly Sport, a scaled-down EV model made by Young Drive Motor Cars, is debuting this week at the British Motor Show. The EV model teaches young drivers the importance of road safety and EVs for a sustainable future.
Hearing that a new EV is debuting in the UK this week, you may guess it would be from a major automaker like Jaguar or MG, but no – Young Motor Cars is launching the Firefly Sport, a small two-seater EV model.
Although the Firefly Sport is built like an actual electric vehicle and handles like it, it’s designed for 4 to 10-year-olds. The goal is to prepare young drivers for driving on real streets and to teach them why EVs are critical.
The Firefly Sport is a 2.1 meter-long (slightly less than 7 feet) EV sourced entirely from UK parts. In fact, it’s being called ‘Britain’s first EV model’ as every part, including the motor and batteries, are from the UK.
Not your average toy car, the Firefly Sport has a maximum speed of 25 mph, which parents can set lower to control the top speed.
Furthermore, parents don’t have to worry about kids taking the vehicles across town or crashing. The model is equipped with a 200-meter range cutoff. Or if an obstacle is in the way, the Firefly Sport automatically stops.
The EV model is the work of former Aston Martin and Jaguar engineer Steve Rawson while Dr. Ian Pogson, a former MG engineer, built the powertrain. The Firefly Sport features two recyclable 12-volt batteries powering twin 24-volt motors.
For those of you excited about the electric Firefly Sport, don’t worry – the company plans to release an adult version soon.
How the electric Firefly Sport plans to help young drivers
Like regular vehicles, the electric Firefly Sport features an aluminum chassis with full suspension and power steering. The purpose of the EV model is for young drivers to get used to what a real car feels and handles like.
YDMC’s managing director, Ian Mulingani, spoke on why they designed the model for kids.
Firefly Sport is a fully-fledged, scaled-down motor car. From its launch this month it will allow 4- to 10-year-olds the chance to get behind the wheel and have an authentic motoring experience, thanks to this model’s sophisticated design and componentry, which fundamentally mirror the way a road car behaves, but at fully manageable speeds.
He added:
Being electric and looking like a junior supercar, it also aligns with the type of vehicle that children see themselves driving when they pass their test.
As I previously mentioned, all the parts are sourced from Britain. The Firefly Sport body comes from Huddersfield, and the chassis is from Coventry. Meanwhile, the motor and batteries are sourced from Bournemouth and Bromsgrove.
Young drivers looking to test the electric Firefly Sport can visit Young Drivers facilities in the UK, or they also have the option of buying it. Pricing for the electric model will be released tomorrow, August 18, at the British Motor Show.
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