UP TO £5M government investment is up for grabs by public sector bodies hoping to benefit from ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs).
Transport Minister Baroness Kramer has announced that 35 public sector organisations are now bidding for funding.
The first phase saw 15 government departments launch reviews of their vehicle fleets and will see around 150 vehicles begin to enter fleets from February
Police, fire services and the NHS will be able to test their ULEV-readiness, as part of a drive to get electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles into the fleets of central government.
The scheme was announced last year and today is being opened to the wider public sector. Winners will be offered a fully-funded fleet review to identify how to introduce greener vehicles.
The first phase saw 15 government departments launch reviews of their vehicle fleets and will see around 150 vehicles begin to enter fleets from February. The second phase is expected to see more than 200 plug-in vehicles introduced to the fleets of other public sector organisations.
Baroness Kramer said: “We want the public sector to lead by example. This £5M investment will see a significant increase in the number of plug-in vehicles used by public bodies such as local authorities, police forces and the NHS and help both the environment and the economy. I look forward to seeing the results”.
The cash is in addition to £500M announced in April 2014, which includes:
- at least £200M to continue the Plug In Car Grant, which cuts up to £5,000 off the price of a new ULEV car
- £100M for research and development
- £35M cities scheme, to increase the uptake of ultra low emission vehicles
- £20M to encourage ULEV taxis
- £30M to boost the low emission bus market
- £32M for more charge-points
ULEVs are a major growth area for the hugely successful UK automotive sector, which is worth more than £11Bn to the economy. Sales in 2014 were four times greater than 2013 sales and more than 1% of new car sales in October and November were ULEVs. In December, one in every 78 cars sold was an ULEV.
The government is also backing the Go Ultra Low campaign to help fleets and general motorists understand the benefits, cost savings and capabilities of ultra low emission vehicles.
Go Ultra Low is also supported by leading car manufacturers: Audi, BMW, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Renault, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Further details are available at www.GoUltraLow.com
