The eco car show EcoVelocity will benefit from a tie-up with home show Grand Designs Live this year to bring in a broader middle-class audience.

Both events will run side by side at ExCel London in May, after the company behind Grand Designs Live and the Ideal Home Show bought a majority stake in EcoVelocity owners IGME.

Both events cater for middle-classes seeking a lower carbon, sustainable lifestyle.

Giles Brown, organiser of EcoVelocity and managing director of IGME, said by running alongside Grand Designs Live EcoVelocity immediately becomes part of a greater success story.

"This helps resolve the age-old conundrum of how to attract affluent motorists to attend a motorshow as well as the holy grail of car show organisers – attracting female car buyers to visit the show."

EcoVelocity will be a stand-alone event alongside Grand Designs Live and will continue with its own enhanced marketing campaign, which, with a considerably more accessible venue, will attract a much higher audience than in 2011.

Visitors to the show will be able to see and test drive the latest crop of eco vehicles which will include electric, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and other CO2-busting vehicles.

Once visitors have driven the cars on their shortlist they can visit Grand Designs Live to see what’s new and sustainable for their home.

Grand Designs will further promote EcoVelocity - visitors to both shows will be able to pass freely from one show to another on a single ticket.

Grand Designs Live had record-breaking visitor attendance of over 100,000 last year and with the addition of EcoVelocity, visitor numbers are expected to be higher.