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Today Transport for London (TfL)
welcomed four new electric vehicles into its fleet as part of the Mayor
Boris Johnson's plans to make London the electric vehicle capital of
Europe. The four new Mitsubishi i-MiEVs, part funded by the Government’s
Low Carbon Procurement Programme, are the first step to achieving the
1,000 electric vehicles that the Mayor aims to bring into the city's
fleet over the next few years.
The new cleaner, greener cars, with
specially designed livery to distinguish them from traditional petrol
and diesel vehicles, will be used by TfL to ensure that roadworks comply
with its permit scheme to keep traffic moving. By the end of this year,
TfL will have up to 10 electric vehicles in its fleet.
Increasing the number of fleet vehicles
is one element of the Mayor's plans to boost electric vehicle numbers to
100,000 as soon as possible. Over the coming year, 1,600 charge points
will be installed across the Capital with numbers rising to 7,500 by
2013 and 25,000 points will be in place by 2015. By then, with 2,500
charge points installed in publicly accessible areas, on average no
Londoner will be further than a mile from any charge point.
The number of electric vehicles in
mainstream use is forecast to significantly increase in the coming years
as many of the leading car manufacturers are planning to launch new
electric vehicle models in the UK. The increase of zero-tail pipe
emitting electric vehicles, will help to improve air quality and cut
climate change emissions, and as the price of petrol and diesel
continues to increase they have significantly lower running costs
including an 100 per cent exemption from the Congestion Charge.
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said:
“Very soon electric vehicles and the apparatus needed to support them
will be a common sight on London's streets. We are doing all we can to
make it as easy as possible for Londoners to choose electric and by
opting for these vehicles in our own fleets, we are helping to stimulate
demand and show off their benefits including considerably cheaper
running costs."
Managing Director, Lance Bradley
commented, “we are delighted that the i-MiEV is continuing its long
history of ‘first’ – this time as the first electric vehicles on
Transport for London’s planned 1,000 electric vehicle fleet. Mitsubishi
Motors in the UK has recognised the strategic importance of London with
the opening of its Mitsubishi Electric Vehicle Centre since February in
Central London.”
Transport for London is working to make
it easier for Londoners to use electric vehicles. Later this year a
single London-wide brand for electric vehicles will be launched so that
drivers will be able to clearly identify where a charging point is
located. This will be supported by a new website providing a one-stop
shop of information on electric vehicles and charging points and a
London-wide membership scheme will also be launched to enable drivers to
access charge points across the Capital - currently electric car drivers
have to register in every borough they charge up in.
David Brown, Managing Director of
Surface Transport, TfL said: “The delivery of these new TfL i-MiEVs is
another step towards achieving the Mayor’s goal to make London the
electric vehicle capital of Europe. TfL is working to help realise the
Mayor’s ambitious plans for electric vehicles by investing in the
installation of electric vehicle charge points and the use of electric
vehicles in London. By 2015 we hope to have even more electric vehicles
on London’s roads and 25,000 charge points installed across the city.”
TfL is also encouraging its contractors
to incorporate electric vehicles into their fleets. London Streets uses
three contractors to deal with emergency and routine maintenance on the
Red Route network. All three contractors are now incorporating
sustainable vehicles into their fleets, which reduces their carbon
emissions and contributes to a greener, cleaner capital city.
The adoption of electric vehicles will
deliver significant climate change and air quality benefits. The
majority of harmful particulate emissions (PM10), 79 per cent, in
central London come from road transport whereas electric cars have zero
tail-pipe emissions. Electric vehicles emit thirty to forty per cent
lower carbon emissions than comparable petrol or diesel cars. This will
reduce further over time as the amount of energy – which charges the
electric vehicles batteries – generated by renewable sources increases.
It is estimated that 100,000 electric
vehicles could cut London’s carbon output by almost 500,000 tonnes over
the next decade as well as save 100 tonnes of NOx emissions and several
tonnes of PM10 emissions. This is equivalent to 300 million car trips.
The new infrastructure and the
additional electric vehicles on London’s roads will help to encourage
Londoners to use a more sustainable form of private transport and
support the Mayor’s target to cut London’s CO2 emissions by
60 per cent by 2025.
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