SHOPPERS in Wollaton have been given a caffeine boost with a difference – after a coffee-powered car drove into town.
The old Ford pick-up truck, nicknamed the Bean Machine, runs on coffee beans and has recently broken the land speed record for a car of its kind.
It entered the Guinness World Record books by powering to a swift 65.5 mph on a test day last week.
The car runs with about 20 per cent less power than a similar-sized petrol engine.
The vehicle has embarked on a countrywide tour as part of the Co-op's Fair Trade Fortnight, and will travel 1,600 miles as it visit Co-operatives up and down the country.
So far, the truck has completed 160 miles on 40 kilos of coffee.
Bean Machine was designed for the Fair Trade Fortnight and took only two months to build. As well as actual coffee beans, it also runs on the waste coffee which would normally be dumped in landfill sites.
Eco-enthusiast and conservationist Martin Bacon invented the fuel design, and he will be driving the car to every corner of the country during its tour.
He said: "We set off from Manchester and we've been visiting Co-op stores along the way and we've covered a total of 161 miles.
"We've used about 40 kilos up to now. On average, once you're on a good run, 10 kilos will take you about 55 miles."
The car runs by converting the coffee beans and waste into gases to run the engine.
Despite its relative efficiency, Martin, does not believe coffee is the way forward for motoring, but he does feel it demonstrates how waste products can be converted into good use.
"I don't think it's going to change British motoring; it's a little bit smelly, but gasification like this certainly has its place.
"For example, coffee production sites could use their waste to power their generators which can be used for production."
