Toyota’s electric vehicles were put to the test by hundreds of Uber drivers in a recent track day at Brands Hatch race circuit in Kent.

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The event, hosted by One Toyota Fleet Services, strengthened a relationship with the ride-hailing business that has seen almost 2,000 drivers move to a Toyota or Lexus electric vehicle through the Uber Driver Scheme in the past six months.

The initiative supports Uber’s actions towards becoming a zero-emission mobility platform in the UK by 2030.

More than 80 battery electric vehicles were available to test, including the bZ4X SUV and new Proace Verso and Proace City Verso people carriers. Lexus was also represented by the compact UX 300e and mid-size RZ 300e luxury electric SUVs.

Alastair Rutt, senior manager One Toyota Business Team, said: “Our electric vehicle initiative with Uber has already been an outstanding success, with more than 100,000 visits to our dedicated microsite and thousands of drivers going ahead with a new vehicle purchase. With our Brands Hatch driving event, we were able to give our guests a real-world introduction to the strengths of our model range for a business where reliable performance and long-lasting quality are key.”

The event also included a prize-winning surprise for a first-time EV driver. Among the 300-plus people who attended, Nuruzzaman Chowdhury, from Poplar, East London, was the winner of a brand-new Toyota bZ4X in a prize draw held on the day.

He said: “I’d never driven an EV before, so I went along to the event to find out what it was all about and enjoy the chance to drive on a race track, which was another first for me. It was great to win the car, I’ve never won anything before, not even a packet of sweets, so it made the event all the more special. I’ll certainly be using the Toyota for my business.”