The Mayor of London has announced his intention to create the world's first Ultra Low Emission Zone in central London, with the aim to deliver dramatic benefits in air quality.

Boris Johnson believes that the decision will provide a major spur for the further development and mass take-up of ultra low emission vehicles.

He has asked Transport for London to prepare plans to look at introducing a scheme that would aim to ensure all vehicles driving in the centre of the capital during working hours would be zero or ultra low emission, and the feasibility of introducing such a scheme from 2020. TfL are to begin work on preparing options for a public consultation on an ultra low emission zone.

The Mayor's proposed package of transport measures includes:
* Extra hybrid buses – to increase the number of hybrid buses in London to over 1,600 by 2016.
* New Euro Standard 6 buses – the Mayor now proposes to retire the last 900 Euro 3 buses so that all of TfL’s buses will be of Euro 4 or better for NOx emissions by the end of 2015.
* A new zero emission taxi – potential taxi designs that offer no emissions at the point of use will be explored.
* More energy efficiency measures – will be encouraged in homes, schools and public buildings.

The Mayor of London's Environment Advisor, Matthew Pencharz, said: "The Mayor has put together a team that takes air quality seriously and that is why he has confirmed another £20 million will be devoted to improving local air quality. He has also brought forward a package of measures that will deliver double the emissions savings originally forecast for phase five of the Low Emission Zone, whilst saving businesses already battling through a tough economic climate from a £350 million bill."

London.gov.uk

Energy Saving Trust (EST) has announced it will be offering 100 organisations in England a free analysis of their fleets to see if and how electric vehicles will work for them.

The initiative, funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles, follows the successful completion of the original Plugged-in Fleets Initiative (PIFI) of which the Heathrow CVP was a project participant.

In 2012/13 EST demonstrated how 20 of the UK's leading organisations from the public and private sector could adapt their fleets to electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. It was found that organisations switching to electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles could reduce their fuel costs by an average of 75%.

The full results of the analysis were published last month in a report called "Charging Forward", which found a strong business case for most of the 20 fleets to adopt plug-in vehicles, with some reviews even offering a strong case for fleets to be 100% electric.

This next step, known as "PIFI 100" will deliver a further 100 reviews with organisations across England being invited to apply now. As part of PIFI 100 each organisation will receive guidance, detailed analysis and a strategic plan for the introduction of electric vehicles into their fleets.

Organisations that participate in PIFI 100 will receive:
* An analysis of where and how plug-in vehicles could work in the business
* A whole life cost analysis, comparing existing vehicles with plug-in alternatives
* An outline of what needs to change to allow plug-in vehicles to make practical or financial sense for the organisation
* Infrastructure guidance, including charging point advice
* And, a tailored final report with clear recommendations on recharging infrastructure and scheduling analysis.

To register an interest in taking part in PIFI 100, either email pifi@est.org.uk or call the Energy Saving Trust Transport team on 0207 227 0310.

Four more areas of the UK are benefiting from the launch of the ECO Stars Fleet Recognition Scheme in the first quarter of 2013. The scheme is being launched in the following areas at events with new fleet operator members inThurrock (Essex), Falkirk (Scotland), York and Nottingham.

The ECO Stars (Efficient and Cleaner Operations) Fleet Recognition Scheme, helps HGV, LGV, bus and coach fleet operators gain recognition for their commitment to improving efficiency, reducing fuel consumption and reducing emissions – all helping to improve local air quality.

The scheme's Effective Fuel Management Programmes, comprises of individual component measures such as monitoring and targeting fleet fuel use, driver training and use of supporting equipment and systems, lie at the heart of operational efficiency.

Cllr Andy Smith, Thurrock Council's portfolio holder for transport, said: “The Thurrock Freight Quality Partnership will provide operational efficiency measures - particularly in relation to operating cleaner vehicles and managing fuel use – and can lead to financial savings and improved environmental performance.”

According to figures from the Department for Transport Freight Best Practice Programme, by implementing the key measures recommended by the ECO Stars scheme, a typical HGV operator could expect to reduce fuel consumption by a minimum of 5% in the first year, worth over £2,000 per vehicle (based on 80,000 miles pa, 8 mpg and £1 per litre of diesel).

For more information about ECOSTARS Europe, which is supported by the Intelligent Energy Europe programme, visit ecostars-europe.eu.

The Electric Vehicle Conference – Overcoming Barriers, Driving Adoption – is a one day event that will take place this year on the 30th April at the Grand Connaught Rooms in Central London.

The industry-led conference and networking event is aimed at exploring the barriers of electric vehicle adoption and exploring various practical business models for moving the industry forward.

Among others, the 26 senior speakers will include Waitrose Ltd, UPS EMEA, Heathrow Airport Ltd, JC Decaux UK Limited, OLEV, London Borough of Hackney, Renault UK, Speedy Services, Continental, and Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust. A range of inputs from a good mix of organisations will bring some interesting debates and opportunities to the event.

At the event, expect to hear best-practice advice from EV pioneers, explore real-world EV models, assess how your organisation can challenge perceptions, understand how utility companies are responding to EV demand and take a look at how and when OEMs will increase range, lower costs and encourage uptake... gain a truly 360 degree perspective and take away practical, honest insight in just one day!

To find out more about the event and to register visit the EV Conference website.

A funding pot of £20 million has been announced by DfT to support companies to invest in low emission buses. The fund will support between 50%-80% of the additional cost of low emission buses such as hybrid, electric or gas buses.

To be eligible for funding, the buses must have 30% lower carbon emissions than a Euro III diesel and must meet or exceed the latest Euro V emission standards. The closing date for bids is the 26th March 2013.

If you are interested in applying for funding, do contact us at STS as we can assist with preparing your bid. For more information on the Fund, visit: Green Bus Fund.

UK based ITM Power is part of a European consortium that is to receive a £3.2 million grant to develop Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cell Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs) with ultra-low platinum loadings for automotive applications.

ITM Power will be working in a consortium of 12 members, led by Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. The programme, known as the IMPACT project and funded under the Seventh Framework Programme addresses the aim of improving the lifetime of PEM fuel cells with MEAs containing ultralow platinum loadings.

The overall objective of IMPACT is to develop MEA’s with improved durability (>5,000 hours) at high performance and having ultra-low platinum loadings for automotive applications. In particular, the project addresses the understanding of degradation processes which apply to such MEA’s; understanding the relationship between degradation, lifetime and platinum loading; development of improved MEA components; improved performance under dynamic operating conditions.

Dr Simon Bourne, CTO, ITM Power plc commented: "ITM Power is delighted to be part of this project which brings together leading fuel cell technologies to address key challenges for the next generation of automotive fuel cells. The project will also strengthen relationships with the fuel cell component supply chain; an important aspect of our strategy and complementary to our work with the Carbon Trust."

This week sees the launch of a major new trial of electric vehicles at Heathrow to test the viability of electric power-trains used in the highly demanding context of daily airport operations.

Over the next month, a fleet of EVs including the Nissan LEAF, Peugeot iOn, Vauxhall Ampera and the Renault Kangoo Z.E. will be trialled by four major organisations and operators at Heathrow.

In addition to Heathrow Airport Limited, who support a potential switch to zero-emission ground based vehicles, British Airways, LSG SkyChefs and Gate Gourmet will be using the electric vehicles within their normal fleet to better understand the suitability or otherwise of EVs for their operations.

As noted by STS director Dr Ben Lane: "Given the current availability of high quality EVs, and need to reduce ground based vehicle emissions, STS are recommending an increase in the use of electric vehicles at Heathrow. In addition to the fleet of almost 700 electric baggage tugs already in use, we see considerable potential for other electric ground support equipment (such as cargo loaders and pushback tractors), as well as the latest on-road electric cars and vans now available in the UK."

David Vowles, Air Quality and Noise Policy Manager at Heathrow Airport Limited said: "Ten per cent of airside vehicles are already electric. The Clean Vehicle Partnership facilitates collaborative working amongst Heathrow fleet operators as well as providing advice, guidance and training to reduce emissions. This trial gives fleet operators more experience of using electric vehicles and the opportunity to test their suitability for both airside use and on the road."

Initial results from the Heathrow EV trials will be presented at the next CVP seminar on 6th December 2012. Information about the trials will also be available on the CVP website at www.sts-technology.com/cvp.

Sustainable Transport Solutions (STS)

The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership has announced the call for nominations for the third Low Carbon Champions Awards which will be presented at a gala event to take place on 29 January 2013 at One Birdcage Walk, Westminster.

The LowCVP Champions Awards celebrate examples of outstanding and innovative practice in accelerating the shift to lower carbon vehicles and fuels and reducing road transport emissions.

There are seven categories of Awards reflecting the diversity of those engaged in encouraging the shift to lower carbon vehicles and fuels. The seven awards are for:
* Low Carbon Car / Van Manufacturer of the Year
* Low Carbon Heavy Duty Vehicle Manufacturer of the Year
* Low Carbon Vehicle Operator of the Year
* Low Carbon Fuel Initiative of the Year
* 2012 Award for Low Carbon Innovation by an SME
* Low Carbon Road Transport Initiative of the Year
* 2012 Outstanding Low Carbon Publication or Report

Two special awards will also be made:
* Outstanding Individual in Promoting Lower Carbon Transport
* Outstanding Achievement in Low Carbon Transport over the last 10 years.

The LowCVP Awards winners will be assessed by a panel of expert judges drawn from the LowCVP's wide range of stakeholder organisations including: BMW, BVRLA, Cenex, Department for Transport, Energy Saving Trust, Freight Transport Association, Next Green Car, Greenpeace, Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), Ricardo UK Ltd, Road Haulage Association, Shell, SMMT, Transport for London and others.

Full details and downloadable entry forms for the LowCVP Awards 2012 are available at: lowcvp.org.uk/lowcarbonchampions. The deadline for nominations is Friday 23 November.

LowCVP

The UK’s first all-electric car club E-Car has launched in Wolverton, Milton Keynes, as part of a new nationwide network.

E-Car is offering Milton Keynes residents and businesses the chance to sign up to the scheme and hire a Nissan LEAF or Peugeot iOn for around £5.50 per hour.

There are three ways for businesses to access an electric vehicle through the E-Car scheme:
* Pay as you Go – businesses join the club and add drivers to their account with monthly itemised billing on account holder’s usage hours;
* Business Account – if a company is going to hire a vehicle for a few hours per week, a business account entitles them to a 20% discount and the ability to block book vehicles in advance. Usage can be tracked online and costs are invoiced monthly;
* E-Car hosting – if a hub isn’t available locally, businesses can provide a publicly accessible parking space for a vehicle and E-Car will take care of the rest. Businesses can replace or extend their existing fleet with E-Car managing the fleet on their behalf.

"We believe E-Car is being launched at a very exciting time for motorists as many want to experiment with driving an electric car before they make the decision to own one," explained E-Car chairman Andrew Wordsworth. He continued: “We hope to grow the E-Car network over the coming months." E-Car will be also launching in North Oxford later this autumn.

For more info email info@e-carclub.org or visit the E-Car website at www.e-carclub.org.

The Transport Select Committee today released a report criticising the Govt’s plug-in vehicle strategy as ineffective and questioning why the official National Charge Point Registry is incomplete.

The a new report from the Transport Select Committee focuses on the Government’s plug-in vehicle strategy and assess its effectiveness in supporting the sales of electric vehicles in the UK.

Louise Ellman MP, the Committee’s Chair, warned: "The Government must do more to show that its plug-in vehicle strategy is a good use of public money. Carbon emissions from transport must be reduced if the UK is to meet its climate change targets, but public money must be targeted on effective policies.

"So far, Department for Transport expenditure on plug-in cars – some £11 million – has benefited just a handful of motorists. We were warned of the risk that the Government is subsidising second cars for affluent households; currently plug-in electric cars are mostly being purchased as second cars for town driving.

In summary, the Committee recommends that:
* The DfT should clarify the reasons for the under spend in its low carbon vehicle programme.
* As part of the next spending review, the Government should set milestones for the numbers of plug-in cars it expects to see on the roads so that the success of its low carbon vehicles strategy can be assessed within that spending review period.
* The DfT should evaluate how effectively the provision of public infrastructure is encouraging consumer demand for plug-in vehicles.

Next Green Car

One of STS's goals for CVP this year is to stimulate trials with electric vehicles to build experience with CVP members. To support this STS has been talking to a number of manufacturers of electric cars and vans to see if they would be willing to put vehicles out for trial at the airport.

Most have comeback very positively and we now have a range vehicles that manufactures are willing to provide for trial. The vehicles will be provided free for a period of 1 to 2 weeks. For more information on the vehicles available see our vehicle list or visit our CVP trials page.

The vehicles are being offered first to full CVP members and if we have availability to the wider CVP audience. If you would be interested trialing one of these vehicles please contacts at cvp@sts-technology.com initially by the 7th September.

London's most comprehensive attempt to measure and record air pollution in the capital is now underway – with 80 scientists from 11 universities monitoring nearly 1,000 different gases and particles in the atmosphere.

Project ClearFlo intends to help improve air quality forecasting in years to come. Air quality is being examined at ground level, from the top of the BT Tower and using a research plane circling the capital.

Much of the capital's air pollution is generated from transport on the ground, which causes London to frequently exceed international air quality standards set by the EU and World Health Organisation. If limits are breached more than 30 days of the year, significant fines have to be paid to the EU.

A collection of data from the ground, London's BT Tower and Britain's largest atmospheric research plane will be collaborated to create a three-dimensional pollution image of what is known as the "London Plume" – a manmade cloud that rises over London. Major contribution to the plume comes from vehicles, heating boilers, domestic cookers and occasionally European industrial pollution.

Project Clearflo

London's hydrogen powered bus fleet has been replaced by conventional diesel buses for the duration of the Olympics, as the filling station cannot be supplied with fuel due to security concerns.

When planning permission was granted for the hydrogen filling station in Stratford in 2009, Olympic officials imposed that, "in the interest of security", no hydrogen should be stored on site between July and mid-September 2012.

More positively, earlier this month the 1,000th refuelling took place at the Stratford depot by one of the five hydrogen buses in operation along the south bank RV1 route. The fuel is shipped from Rotterdam to Hull, and then supplied to the First depot. The bus fleet has so far clocked up 100,000 miles on the route.

"The Transport for London hydrogen bus fleet is a ground-breaking first for Europe and has been a great success to date," said Diana Raine from hydrogen suppliers Air Products. She continued, "The fleet has shown Londoners that hydrogen transport offers a low carbon solution that not only offers zero emissions, but also delivers a real and practical alternative to the diesel powered bus."

It is expected that the hydrogen bus fleet will have grown to eight buses when the filling stations are re-filled and service is resumed in September.

Cenex, the UK's centre of excellence for low carbon and fuel cell technologies, will host their 5th annual Low Carbon Vehicle Event on Wednesday 5th & Thursday 6th September 2012 at Millbrook Proving Ground, Millbrook, Bedfordshire.

The event is a FREE exhibition showcasing low and ultra low carbon vehicle technology from the UK's leading automotive technology companies and universities. More information can be found at the LCV2012 website .

Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) is a partner in a hydrogen demonstration project called HyTec. The hydrogen fuelling site is being installed later this month and there is now an opportunity for CVP members to be part of the deployment of hydrogen vehicles. Two vehicles will be available both are a Hyundai ix35, an SUV-type car.

The project is part funded by the EU, which is expected to cover c.50% of vehicle lease costs. With the EU funding, the cost to the end users of leasing the FCEV will be €17,500/yr for four years (per vehicle). This is approximately £14,500/yr. Part of this cost may be offset against the cost of leasing and maintaining an equivalent ICE car (which the FCEV would replace). For more information on the trial vehicles click here.

HAL would like to share the opportunity of trialling these vehicles with CVP members, allowing members to get a real hands on experience with using a hydrogen vehicle. As a trial participant HAL would be looking for partners willing to share the vehicle leasing costs with them and potentially take on one of the vehicles for a significant period of time. If you would be interested in getting involved in this trial either contact David Vowles at HAL directly (david.vowles@baa.com) or come back to us (cvp@sts-technology.com).

Twenty organisations across England have pledged to lead the way in tackling emissions from road vehicles after being selected to take part in the Energy Saving Trust's Plugged-in Fleets initiative, in partnership with EDF Energy.

One of the successful advice recipients under the scheme is the Heathrow Clean Vehicles Partnership which is managed by STS, which supports the introduction of electric and other low emission vehicles at Heathrow airport and within the region.

Other participating organisations include: Boots UK, London Fire Brigade, Network Rail, Surrey County Council, Southwark Council, Tristar, University of Cumbria, Morrisons, and York City Council.

As part of the EST scheme – which is funded by Transport for London (TfL) and Department for Transport (DfT) – the companies will receive guidance and a strategic plan for the introduction of electric vehicles into their fleets.

Working with Air Quality Consultants (AQC), STS is developing and testing a range of measures to help reduce NO2 pollution hotspots in Hillingdon and around Heathrow.

Measures being considered include a Ultra Low Emission Zone, HGV charging and low and zero emissions buses. A final report is due late 2012.

The Energy Saving Trust is offering to develop free electric vehicle business plans for 20 companies. The initiative is designed to help organisations find the 'sweet spots' in their operations where electric vehicles can provide a clear financial benefit.

Participating organisations will be led through a programme of work by EST fleet consultants and infrastructure experts from EDF to identify opportunities for electric vehicles their fleet and to develop a strategic plan for their introduction.

The projects will focus on the categories of vehicle eligible for support through the Government's Plug-in Car and Plug-in Van Grants.

The next CVP conference will take place on the morning of 5th July at the Compass Centre, Heathrow. The conference will focus on two key issues: Increasing the take up of electric vehicles at Heathrow; and improving driver performance with a particular focus on improving fuel economy.

Topics will include: EV infrastructure, developing an EV fleet, results from a Heathrow driver training survey, driver training case studies and tools for maintaining good driver performance including telematics and driver feedback systems.

Next CVP Seminar
5th July 2012 [220kB]

Taxiing to and from the runway on engine power may soon be a thing of the past with the development of WheelTug, an electric wheel-drive for aircraft. The company claim that the WheelTug system can reduce fuel consumption, emissions and noise, while potentially increasing airport capacity.

Able to propel the aircraft at up to 28 mph, WheelTug weighs 300 lb but is 'flight weight'-neutral, as less fuel is required for taxiing, the company says. Minimum fuel burn for a 737 taxiing on one engine averages 15 lb/minute, and crews typically add 30 minutes of fuel weighing 450 lb for contingencies.

Powering the wheels from the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) – usually positioned within the tail of wide-bodied jets – cuts taxi fuel burn by up to 85%. "Instead of over 200 kg of taxi contingency fuel, I can load 60 kg, and have the same operational flexibility," says Chief Pilot Joseph Goldman.

WheelTug is on track for both official certification and the first deliveries for the Boeing 737 NG in mid-2013, according to WheelTug CEO Isaiah Cox. Several airlines are already interested in testing the the new unit, including Israeli El Al, who have signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

Other potential benefits of electric taxiing include shorter turnaround times and the ability to position aircraft on the runway at noise-constrained airports so takeoffs can begin as soon as the curfew is lifted, generating more slots.

STS has been commissioned by BAA at Heathrow to develop a strategy for the development and introduction of clean vehicle technologies with fleet operators across Heathrow.

The strategy will form part of the Heathrow Air Quality Strategy and contribute to its carbon reduction objectives. The study is being carried out alongside the Clean Vehicle Programme (also managed by STS) in order to engage with CVP members and get input and support for the proposals.

The final vehicle technology strategy will set out a technology road map for introducing clean vehicles, explore potential supporting mechanism, indentify vehicle and fuel projects to take forward and a develop a plan for implementation.

The project is due to be completed in December 2011.