AN electric car stopped off in Brighton while navigating a road trip-style route designed to rival America's famous Route 66.

The journey, spanning 2,500 miles across England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, takes in 57 must-see destinations, including Brighton.

Its organisers have likened the trek to the famed US Route 66 that stretches from Chicago to Los Angeles.

They are using the jaunt to highlight the prowess of electric vehicles. This is the first time it has been driven in an electric car.

Driver Jess Shanahan, a motoring journalist, said: "Electric cars have always made sense to me but now more than ever.

"Doing this trip just goes to show that if an electric car can do a road trip on this kind of scale, it's perfectly suited to day-to-day driving such as the commute, school run or going to the shops."

Beginning on April 6 in Plymouth and stopping in Brighton last Friday, it will wind its way through the British Isles before ending in Galway, Republic of Ireland.

Miss Shanahan, 27, added: "Reaching Brighton was great. The journey over two days from Plymouth was absolutely stunning. It's so nice to see the changing landscapes and the beautiful coastline. Brighton itself was a great place to be and driving in alongside the sea was brilliant."

As well as promoting local tourism, the campaign’s use of an electric vehicle seeks to challenge common myths around electric cars.

A recent survey by the AA shows that the limited range of an electric car is one of the top reasons people give for not buying them.

The Route 57 campaign aims to show that these perceptions do not match reality with today’s green car technology, and that an electric car can drive more than 2,580 miles across four countries.

Route 57 was designed as the UK and Ireland’s answer to US Route 66 by Jurys Inn Hotels, which is supplying accommodation along the way.

Miss Shanahan is doing the road trip in a Kia Soul EV supplied by electric car leasing company DriveElectric, and stopping at charging stations along the route, mapped out by ZapMap.

Miss Shanahan started out on the drive by fittingly listening to Bill Bryson’s Notes From A Small Island.

At the time of going to press she had just clocked over the 1,000-mile mark.

You can follow the progress at route57.org.uk.