£20m to Develop Low-Carbon Emission Vans

The government has announced a £20m program to develop electric and other low-carbon vans to public sector organisations such as the Mail and  police. So far ten companies have been listed to develop a suitable mass-market low-carbon van for the program.

This money is part of a larger program to develop the infrastructure necessary to make widespread use of electric and hybrid vehicles possible.

Transport secretary Geoff Hoon told the Guardian that the program was a response to the fact that “Van emissions are increasing more than any other mode of road transport”. The government are hoping that this program will help “kick-start the market [for low-carbon vans]” as there is not currently a suitable model available.

With range and recharging facilities still an issue for electric vehicles, this initiative implies that the main goal is low-emission hybrid vehicles - perhaps along the same lines as the Chevrolet Volt, which has an all-electric powertrain but has a small petrol engine on board to charge its batteries if required.

To learn more, see this article in the Guardian.