A TALE OF TWO ISLES

The film is about the Enfield 8000, the world’s first production electric vehicle, which was introduced in the early 70s, 40 years before the auto industry rediscovered the benefits of electric mobility, and manufactured on the Greek island of Syros! Enfield Automotive, a British firm based on the Isle of Wight, managed to win the Electricity Council contract for an initial number of electric vehicles over the Ford and Leyland bids. However, as production was about to start, the famous Greek ship owner John Goulandris, owner of Enfield Automotive, transferred the factory to the Greek island of Syros, a decision which probably proved fatal to the car’s future at a time when the rise in the price of petrol, due to the energy crisis, and growing public awareness of environmental issues could have made the Enfield 8000 the ideal solution for urban mobility.