Competition to speed-up introduction of low carbon commercial vehicles 13 March 2012

The government is to run a £9.5 million demonstration programme to encourage road haulage operators in the UK to buy and use low carbon commercial vehicles – with a competition for those interested launching as the CV Show opens its doors on 24 April.

The trial – managed by the Technology Strategy Board and the Department for Transport – is aimed at helping operators to establish fleets of alternative and dual-fuel HGVs, and electric and hybrid commercial vehicles, by part-funding the additional capital cost over conventional vehicles. It will also part-fund the refuelling and charging point infrastructure for use by the trial fleet.

The competition will support small trial fleets (between five and 35 vehicles) of production, and near-production, low carbon commercial vehicles, as well as their refuelling/charging infrastructure.

"Cutting carbon emissions and supporting the low carbon vehicles market is a key priority for this government," states transport minister Mike Penning.

"The trial will be crucial to enabling HGV operators to access the necessary refuelling infrastructure to support low carbon vehicles," he continues. "This will improve confidence in low carbon technologies, encouraging more companies to get involved."

Penning makes the point that the low carbon vehicle fleets and the refuelling/charging hubs will remain with the operators after the trial for their continued use.

"We have developed this demonstration trial in consultation with the road haulage industry, vehicle manufacturers and alternative transport and fuel industries," comments Iain Gray, chief executive of the Technology Strategy Board.

"It will enable commercial vehicle operators to trial alternative fuel, electric and hybrid commercial vehicles as lower carbon replacements for their traditional vehicles, while low-carbon vehicle producers will learn from the trial to develop their products," he adds.

And Paul Everitt, chief executive of the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) adds: "The UK is at the forefront of research, testing and uptake of low and ultra-low carbon technologies for all sizes and types of commercial vehicles... The funding will accelerate industry's understanding and use of a variety of low carbon technologies, while helping to develop alternative fuel infrastructures across the country."

The competition to take part in the trials is open to businesses of any size and the TSB indicates that it wants to involve SMEs as well as large operators, with demonstration fleets running for two years.

One condition is that access must be granted for other commercial and public-service vehicle operators to the trial's gas refuelling hubs.

Further, each project application has to demonstrate expected benefits, in terms of carbon reduction, the introduction and use of more low carbon commercial vehicles and refuelling hubs, the substitution of traditional fossil-fuels and support of UK plc manufacturing and operation.

Author
Brian Tinham

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