Both were joint winners of the heavy-duty vehicle manufacturer of the year category, with Optare also clinching the grand prix award for its outstanding achievements in driving the UK electric bus market.
The awards are run by the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) and held in association with Cenex, and winners were chosen by a panel of 21 judges from across the low-carbon road transport sector.
LowCVP managing director Andy Eastlake said: “It’s always a pleasure to celebrate success and there were many reasons to commend the contribution of this year’s entries to cutting emissions, both of greenhouse gases and local pollutants.
“The winning entries – and those recognised as runners-up and shortlisted – are exciting examples of a vibrant and innovative low-carbon road transport sector in the UK that is going from strength to strength.”
The judges decided that Optare and Scania should be joint winners in the heavy-duty vehicle manufacturer category, in recognition of their different market sectors.
Judges said: “Optare has the largest presence in the market and demonstrates a holistic approach to delivering the product.” And, on Scania’s gas chassis, they said: “Scania has been observing and evaluating the market, and then delivered an exceptionally good product with lower associated risk.”
Mitsubishi’s Outlander won the car manufacturer prize, for its 4x4 SUV with plug-in hybrid technology.
Dundee City Council was named low-carbon vehicle operator of the year; AVID Technology was co-winner of the SME innovation prize, for its electrification of ancillary systems, alongside Wirth Research for its work in boosting HGV aerodynamics.
GENeco won the road transport initiative award for its Bio-Bus, the only vehicle in the UK fuelled by biomethane gas produced from a mixture of food waste, commercial liquid waste and domestic sewage.