On 24th June, the mercury hit 36.1°C at Gosport, Hampshire – provisionally the hottest June day ever recorded in the UK. The sun was brutal, the tarmac was radiating heat like an oven shelf, and somewhere in the middle of all of it, I was filming Shorts about electric cars with presenter Hannah Jackson.
It was absolutely brilliant.
What Is Select Live?
Select Live is an annual business and fleet vehicle event hosted by Select Car Leasing, held at Reading FC’s Select Car Leasing Stadium. This year it featured nearly 100 new cars and vans on display from the world’s leading brands, including BMW, Audi, Tesla, Porsche, Maserati, BYD, Jaecoo and many more.
It’s primarily aimed at fleet managers, business owners and salary sacrifice decision-makers. So if you’re an EV enthusiast or a family weighing up your next car, there’s no better place to spend a few hours. Where else do you get to sit in, poke around, and compare this many electric and hybrid vehicles in one place, for free, on the same day?
Select Live is built around the people who make fleet decisions — business owners, sustainability leads and fleet managers looking to make the switch to electric. But beyond the seminars and the charging infrastructure partners, there are nearly 100 cars to sit in, explore and compare side by side. For anyone weighing up their next EV, that kind of hands-on access is hard to find anywhere else.
We went, sweated and filmed. Here’s what happened.
The Tesla Frunk Ice Box But Hannah Had No Idea
Before we get to the cars, we need to talk about the prank. Because yes, there was a prank.
Hannah Jackson, TV presenter, professional enthusiast, and someone who does not do things by halves had absolutely no idea what was waiting for her when we walked over to the Tesla. We’d secretly “filled” the front boot (the frunk, for the uninitiated) with ice, drinks, and snacks, turning it into the world’s most expensive cool box. On the hottest day in British June history. It was, in hindsight, the only sensible way to prepare for the day.
Her reaction? Exactly what you’d hope for. You can watch the full Short here – it’s already live.
The Porsche Moment With Helium, Hannah, and Chaos
If the Tesla frunk was the warm-up act, the Porsche video was the headline. Hannah managed to get hold of a helium balloon on site and, naturally, decided the best possible use was mid-filming in front of the Porsche, doing the full chipmunk voice bit live to camera.
It was unscripted and ridiculous. I acsolutely loved it because it was one of those moments you can’t really plan for. That Short is dropping very soon. Keep an eye on the channel.
The Cars Worth Talking About
OK, to the good stuff. Nearly 100 cars means a lot of walking, even more sitting, and a whole lot of quietly judging interior plastic quality. I it wouldn’t be fair to keep you waiting any longer so here are the ones that stood out to me.
What Was It Like on the Hottest Day of the Year?
Honestly? Memorable, in a way that no amount of planning could have manufactured. The event featured a humanoid robot on site for a live demonstration, alongside XPeng and other Chinese brands making their presence felt but it was the combination of heat, brilliant cars, and Hannah being completely, gloriously Hannah that made it the day it was.
There’s something very special about standing in 36-degree heat, surrounded by electric cars, at a football stadium, watching your co-presenter squeak through a Porsche walkaround on helium. This kind of magic happens when you say yes to a good day out with good people.
InstaVolt also had an ultra-rapid charging hub on site, with eight 160kW chargers available, which, if you wanted a very literal demonstration that EV infrastructure is catching up fast, was a pretty good visual.
Should You Go to Select Live?
If it comes back in 2027? Absolutely yes!!
Whether you’re a fleet manager trying to navigate the switch to electric, a business owner who wants straight answers on salary sacrifice, or just someone who fancies spending a few hours sitting in Porsches and Alpine hot hatches at a football ground – it’s a fantastic day out. It’s free to attend, the cars are the real thing (not concept renders on a screen), and the people running it know their stuff.
We’ll keep updating this blog as more Shorts go live. In the meantime, head to the channel to catch everything we filmed on the day … and keep an eye out for the helium video. It’s worth the wait.
*All temperature records sourced from the Met Office. Car specifications sourced from manufacturer data and independent reviews. Event details sourced from Select Car Leasing.
