9:09am Friday 12th March 2010
© Press Association 2011
A 70 mph car fuelled by coffee is nearing the end of a jittery journey from London to Manchester.
The vehicle - dubbed "car-puccino" - is powered by nothing but used coffee grounds.
It will take the equivalent of 10,000 espressos to complete the 210-mile trip, interrupted by refuelling coffee stops every 40 miles.
The car, based on a 1988 VW Scirocco bought on eBay for £400, was the creation of engineer Jem Stansfield, presenter of the BBC One show Bang Goes The Theory. A furnace in the boot roasts coffee grounds to generate flammable vapours that fuel the engine.
Steering a coffee-powered car in heavy traffic and along motorways is an unusual driving experience to say the least. Speaking about 30 miles from Manchester, Jem said: "I'm learning more every mile I go. At the same time as driving in the normal way you have an extra control for the gas production plant in the back.
Jem said it was reaching speeds of 55 - 70mph on motorways. "I think 70 is about as much as it will do", he said. "On the motorway it's an absolute joy to drive," Jem added. "There's no occasional misfiring; it purrs along. It's going to be a bit of a come down getting back in a normal car."
The idea was to demonstrate how a cheap and easily obtainable waste product can be used to generate energy.
A group of around 5,000 children are due to greet Jem at the finish, the Big Bang science fair in Manchester's city centre. The trip will feature in the new series of Jem's TV show which starts next Monday.
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