Mayor unveils London’s Ultra Low Emission future as Fire Brigade joins electric revolution
•Vision for London to become the Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle capital of Europe
•London Fire Brigade announces commitment to transfer support cars to electric by 2016 and vision for low emission fire engines
•The world’s largest green bus fleet continues to expand with Transport for London introducing two new all-electric routes as part of its commitment for 300 single deck buses in central London to be zero emission by 2020.
•Significant expansion of charging networks across the capital to support new technologies, with plans to install 150 rapid charging points by 2018 to support Zero Emission Capable (ZEC) taxis and private hire vehicles
•Car club industry commits to at least 50 per cent ultra low emission vehicles in fleet by 2025 The Mayor of London today (22 July) released plans to help the capital become the Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) capital of Europe.
His delivery plan sets a clear direction for London to support the expected increase in the number of ultra-low emission vehicles over the next 10 years, and was released as it was revealed that the London Fire Brigade will be joining the electric revolution.
London’s Fire Commissioner, Ron Dobson, has agreed a £600,000 plan to replace 57 of the Brigade’s fleet vehicles with range extender and hybrid electric cars by 2016.
He has also revealed the Brigade’s ambition to eventually use low emission fire engines in the capital, calling on industry to bring forward new technologies to meet the unique demands of operational emergency vehicles.
The Fire Brigade are the latest addition to London’s increasing number of low emission vehicles, with Transport for London already running the world’s largest green bus fleet – which they continue to improve.
Last month, the Mayor announced trials of the world’s first purpose-built double-deck electric bus, while last week TfL announced two more all-electric bus routes for London.
The Mayor is calling on other parts of the capital’s fleet of commercial and private vehicles to emulate this progress, and today his Deputy Mayor for Transport, Isabel Dedring, unveiled the steps London will be taking to become the Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) capital of Europe at an event attended by officials from TfL, the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, Go Ultra Low campaign, local authorities and vehicle manufacturers.
London’s Deputy Mayor for Transport, Isabel Dedring, said: “London has real potential to become the ultra-low emission vehicle capital of Europe. We already have the world’s largest green bus fleet and now we can welcome London Fire Brigade’s commitment to electric vehicles. There is also a great opportunity for the capital’s fleet of commercial and private vehicles to step forward and help to deliver our ambition for London to be a world leader in green vehicle technology. It will help us meet London’s air quality challenge and provide economic benefits right across the UK – as shown by the Mayor’s commitment to zero emission taxis which led to a £300million investment, creating 2,000 jobs and two factories in Coventry.”
London’s Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson said: “It is fantastic that 57 of our fleet vehicles will soon be replaced with electric cars, which play a vital role in keeping London clean.
The Brigade has been working to identify ways to introduce electric cars into our fleet since 2008, when we first began undertaking trials of electric vehicles.
The decision to solely use range extender and hybrid electric vehicles combined with the recent installation of electric vehicle charge points at 78 Brigade sites, reaffirms our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment. We will continue to work towards our ultimate aspiration to one day have low emission frontline vehicles.”
The new ULEV Delivery Plan sets out a wide range of actions to support the uptake of electric and ultra-low emission vehicles. It includes: • A commitment to the ultra-low emission discount for the congestion charge and to improving it as emission standards improve, so only the cleanest vehicles are incentivised. •
Exploring preferential access for ULEV vehicles when new infrastructure is opened. •
Working with boroughs to develop preferential access, parking or charging in new area-based schemes, including through the £2million low emission neighbourhood programme to be funded by the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund •
A £65m programme of Zero Emission Capable London taxi top-up grants, as well as decommissioning grants for taxis older than 10 years to encourage an accelerated take up of Zero Emission Capable taxis •
Launching a new Low Emission Commercial Vehicle (LECV) Programme by the end of the year to accelerate the development, supply and widen uptake of low emission commercial vehicles and refuelling infrastructure. •
A trial of inductive wireless charging in the bus fleet by 2016 • Undertaking trials of ‘geofencing’ to harness new technologies and target the potential air quality benefits. A trial will launch on bus route 159 next year and TfL will also explore trials with taxi manufacturers. •
Working with the car club industry to identify and put in place infrastructure to support the industry’s ambitions for at least 50 per cent of their fleets to be ULEV by 2025. •
Developing a new infrastructure procurement framework for charge points that provides best value for procurers in the GLA Group.
At today’s launch event, the very latest developments in the industry were on show with manufacturers from the Go Ultra Low campaign including Nissan, Renault, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Volkswagen, Audi , BMW, Toyota and Hyundai displaying their ultra-low emission vehicles.
Hetal Shah, Head of Go Ultra Low, said: “Go Ultra Low welcomes TfL's commitment to supporting the uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles across London.
The plans outlined today are vital to increasing public awareness of the financial benefits ULEVs can offer, plus the wide variety of practical plug-in vehicles available to families and businesses in the city. “London already leads the way with plug-in car registrations growing 203% this year.
The planned infrastructure improvements will give even more Londoners the opportunity to save money and help improve local air quality. What’s more, by deploying 1,000 ULEVs in its fleets the Greater London Authority is leading by example to local fleet operators looking to significantly reduce emissions and running costs.”
Ben Plowden, TfL’s Director of Surface Strategy and Planning, said: “We want to encourage and incentivise Londoners to own and use ultra-low emission vehicles.
Besides saving on running costs, they will also have the satisfaction of knowing they are helping improve air quality in the Capital. In our Delivery Plan we set out how we will work with the Government, local authorities, manufactures and the wider ultra-low vehicle emission industry to make it as easy as possible for Londoners to make the switch.”
The charging market is already adapting to meet the different needs across the capital, with Bluepoint London Ltd committing to increase the Source London network of 1,400 publicly accessible charging points to 6,000 by 2018, and Chargemaster, a leading provider of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, announcing plans to install over 1,000 charge points including 600 points in entirely new destinations such as hotels, supermarkets and health clubs.
Work is also underway to install 300 rapid charging points to get 9,000 Zero Emission Capable (ZEC) taxis and private hire vehicles on the streets by 2020. A ZEC requirement for new taxis and private hire vehicles would be introduced in 2018, subject to public consultation.
TfL is working with London’s boroughs to bid for funding from OLEV as part of its Go Ultra Low City Scheme bid, with a bid to be submitted in October. A priority is to secure funding to install on-street charge points in residential areas, given 46 per cent of car owners in inner London and 33 per cent in outer London are without off-street parking.
Ends
Notes to Editors:
The ULEV Delivery Plan is published at www.tfl.gov.uk/transport-emissions Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) is the collective term for: • Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) • Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) • Range-extended electric vehicles (RE-EVs) • Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) A Prior Information Notice (PIN) was published on 3 June 2015 requesting expressions of interest from parties interested in partnering with TfL on the development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, in particular rapid charging for taxis, private hire vehicles and other commercial fleets. Alongside research and stakeholder engagement, the PIN will inform TfL’s deployment strategy for a rapid charging infrastructure. The PIN has been targeted at a broad range of suppliers and stakeholders across the EV charging, energy, transport infrastructure and automotive industries. Some of the vehicles at the event: Nissan LEAF This pure electric vehicle, manufactured in the UK, can travel up to 124 miles on a single charge, and the battery can be 80 per cent charged in 30 minutes using a rapid charger. Using a dedicated home chargepoint, it takes around four hours to fully charge. Renault ZOE The pure electric ZOE is fitted with Renault’s “range optimizer” which enhances battery life meaning the car has a range of around 62 miles in winter and more than 100 miles in summer. Using a home chargepoint fully charging the battery takes between three and four hours. Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV The Outlander is the is the world’s first plug-in hybrid SUV, with a combined range of 510 miles or 32.5 miles in electric mode and emissions of 44g/km. It is possible to charge the Outlander using a chargepoint at home in about 3.5 hours and it has the ability to charge the battery from the engine while driving. Toyota Prius Plug-in The Prius Plug-in can travel up to 700 in before the need to refuel and has consumption figures of 134.5mpg. Electric alone, after a 90-minute charge, the range is 15.5 miles at up to 51mph. Standard features include daytime running lights, LED headlamps and rain-sensing wipers. Volkswagen e-Golf The e-golf has range of 118 miles, depending on driving style and the battery can be rapid-charged from flat to 80 per cent capacity in around 30 minutes using a rapid charger. LED lighting, alloy wheels and air conditioning come as standard. Audi A3 Sportback e-tron In conventional mode, the car has an estimated range of 550 miles. In the all-electric mode, it can travel 31 miles on a single charge. The e-tron combines a 1.4 TFSI engine and electric motor married to the S tronic transmission meaning the e-tron can go from 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds. BMW i3 range extender This range extended version of the i3 comes with a tiny two-cylinder 650cc engine (giving 34bhp), which is mounted on the rear along with the electric motor. It acts as a generator to maintain the battery’s charge. It kicks in when the charge drops to 3.5 per cent, or you can adjust it so it starts charging earlier, extending the 100 mile range of the i3 to upwards of 150 miles. Toyota Mirai The Toyota Mirai signals the start of a new age of vehicles. Using hydrogen – an important future energy source – as fuel to generate electricity, it achieves superior environmental performance while providing the convenience and driving pleasure expected of any car. The Mirai uses the Toyota Fuel Cell System (TFCS), which features both fuel cell and hybrid technologies and which makes use of Toyota’s new proprietary fuel cell stack and high-pressure hydrogen tanks. The TFCS is more energy efficient than internal combustion engines and emits no CO2 or pollutants when driven. Drivers can expect the same levels of convenience as offered by petrol engine vehicles, with a generous cruising range and a hydrogen refuelling time of about three minutes. Hyundai ix35 The World’s first mass production Fuel Cell Vehicle. Hyundai’s zero-emission ix35 Fuel Cell represents one of the world’s most advanced alternative fuel vehicles on the market. The ix35 Fuel Cell is equipped with a 100kW (136ps) electric motor, allowing it to reach a maximum speed of 100mph (160km/h). Two hydrogen storage tanks, with a total capacity of 5.64kg, enable the vehicle to travel a total of up to 369 miles (594km) on a single fill, and it can reliably start in temperatures as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius. The energy is stored in a 24KW lithium-ion polymer battery, jointly developed with LG Chemical.