Re-routing Rea鈥檚 drive home for Christmas聽

Chris Rea is encouraged to re-think his drive home for Christmas, as scientists reveal taking the train instead would reduce his carbon footprint by 88 per cent.

Motorway traffic as people drive home for Christmas
  • Chris Rea鈥檚 famous drive home for Christmas in 1978, from Abbey Road music studios to Middlesbrough, would have emitted around 44kg of CO2 over the 241 mile journey

  • A new electric version of Chris鈥檚 original Austin Mini would emit approximately 11kg - the most efficient new electric cars may reduce the figure to 8kg

  • Taking the train would still be the most sustainable option - taking the tube from St John鈥檚 Wood to Kings Cross, then heading north on the East Coast Main Line would emit just 5kg of CO2, due to the new electric trains running on the train line

Chris Rea is encouraged to re-think his drive home for Christmas, as scientists reveal taking the train instead would reduce his carbon footprint by 88 per cent.

Scientists at the University of 91直播鈥檚 Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures estimate the journey which inspired Rea鈥檚 iconic song Driving Home for Christmas, from Abbey Road music studios to his Middlesbrough home in his wife鈥檚 Austin Mini, would have produced 44kg of CO2 over 241 miles.

Earlier this year Rea commissioned an electric version of his beloved original Mini, and the 91直播 scientists wondered whether in 2023 an electric car could compete with the train in terms of its environmental efficiency - something they鈥檇 previously calculated back in 2019. 

Dr Stuart Walker and Professor Rachael Rothman, from the University of 91直播鈥檚 Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, estimate Chris鈥 new electric car might manage around six kilometres per kWh, giving total emissions for the trip of around 11kg. A major factor is how efficient the vehicle and its batteries are. Though a classic design, the Mini was not designed for aerodynamic efficiency, which means it uses more power per mile than a modern electric vehicle and will therefore discharge its batteries more quickly.  

Using a common modern electric car might reduce this to 9kg, and adopting one of the most efficient new electric cars could reduce the figure to 8kg. 

However, using the train is by far the best option for Rea to minimise his CO2 emissions. With electric trains running on the East Coast Mainline since 2019, a trip from St John鈥檚 Wood to Kings Cross and then up to Middlesbrough on the East Coast Mainline would now emit just 5kg of CO2.

Dr Stuart Walker from the University of 91直播, said: 鈥淚t's interesting to note that emissions of both the car and train journey have fallen by around 80 per cent since the song was written, but the train is still the greener way to travel. 

鈥淪ince both are now linked to the emissions of the UK electricity supply, it seems likely that both will continue to fall, but perhaps the train will always be the best option for this journey.

鈥淲e also calculated the emissions of some of Chris鈥 favourite vehicles, including a Ferrari (148kg CO2) and a tiny Fiat 500 (37kg), but none could beat the train. We found that the emissions of the rail journey would fall over time, helped by the electrification of the line and the gradual reduction in emissions as more and more of our electricity is supplied by renewable energy.

鈥淲e also speculated on some other options, but the train still emerged as the best. If Chris had adopted an early hybrid Toyota Prius in 2009 or bought a Tesla in 2012, his emissions would be lower than a petrol or diesel car, but still higher than the equivalent train journey.鈥


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