Airbus has opened a Zero Emission Development Centre (ZEDC) for hydrogen technologies in the UK. A priority for the UK ZEDC in Filton near Bristol will be the development of a low-cost cryogenic tank.
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Bristol City Council offers businesses the chance to trial electric vans and cars for free for up to two months. The scheme is fully funded by National Highways and will run for two years.
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Britain’s electric air taxi startup Vertical Aerospace made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday after a blank-check SPAC deal valued at $2.2 billion got the go-ahead. It injects the company with 300 million in cash and has Vertical Aerospace looking to set up shop, perhaps in Ireland.
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DHL Parcel UK will add 50 new electric vans to their fleet before the year’s end. The logistics company will deploy the 50 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter L2s in Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Leicester, Bristol and Southampton and complement the fleet in London.
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Rivian has finally made its first electric pickup truck, the RT1 – that’s after the US EV start-up had twice postponed the start of deliveries. According to CEO RJ Scaringe, the first customer vehicle has now rolled off the production line.
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According to a media report, Rivian has been negotiating with the British government for several weeks about the construction of a plant near Bristol. However, the talks are not yet at an advanced stage.
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In order to make e-scooters more perceptible to other road users, 60 of the small EVs from Voi will be equipped with artificial sound systems in three English cities (Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool). However, the measure is not as unilaterally welcomed as the initiators hoped.
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The British car brand Bristol Cars plans to launch an electric four-seater in 2025 with a new investor. For its 80th anniversary in 2026, investor Jason Wharton wants to make Bristol Cars a “leading British electric vehicle company”.
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Kickscooter rental company Voi has scored another contract in the previously closed UK market. The Swedish company has entered Liverpool on a trial basis with a fleet of 50 e-scooters, to begin with. The new project follows similar advances on the isles that so far, had mixed results.
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The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considering a premium of up to £6,000 for the exchange of a diesel or petrol car for an electric vehicle with an official announcement expected on 6 July. There are also rumours that Tesla might plan a Gigafactory on the Isles.
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The Bristol City Council is catching up with its own plans it seems and has put on hold an existing order of at least 64 diesel vans. The Council has halted the programme once it realised it conflicts with plans to impose a diesel ban in the city centre.
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The Bristol City Council recently proposed a ban for all diesel vehicles from their city centre. Despite the planned ban, the council has acquired a fleet of 64 new diesel transporters for its own fleet.
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The Bristol City Council has proposed a ban for all diesel vehicles from their city centre, as well as a new congestion charge zone for older commercial vehicles by 2021. This would make the city the first in the UK with an outright ban on diesel.
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A fleet of 10 new electric vehicles are now available for short term rental in Bristol. Using funding from the EU project REPLICATE, ten Renault Zoe were brought to the city, available from nine locations across the city.
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Bristol-based Vertical Aerospace is the latest contender in the race to launch flying cabs for urbanites. Their electric VTOL is to be fit to carry passengers on short, inter-city flights within the next four years and a first prototype underwent testing.
Read moreOpel car sharing: German Vauxhall is to import GM’s car sharing service Maven to Europe by 2017. If the service will include the Ampera-e (aka the Bolt) remains to be seen as details will only follow in November. The cars will be booked via app but the system is not free flow.
automobilwoche.de (in German)
Technological evolution: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is looking to convert 14 propane-powered buses to electric power at Utah’s Zion National Park. So far, the move will first be evaluated by gathering data on use and topography. Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska has made its decision and took delivery of two hydraulic hybrid shuttles from Lightning Hybrids.
greencarreports.com (Utah), greencarcongress.com (Alaska)
University of Bristol decided to replace four diesel vans with electric ones as it found the diesels not suitable for the conditions on campus that include short rides and start-stop at hills. The four Nissan e-NV200 are charged at four EV charging station on-site, saving further time and pit stops.
evfleetworld.co.uk
Widespread EV adoption: The Greenlining Institute has issued an online tool kit to facilitate EV adoption in underserved communities. “Electric Vehicles for All: An Equity Toolkit” deals with EV awareness, affordability as well as information about specific tools and resources for policy-makers.
greenlining.org (guide), chargedevs.com
Charging like a sheik: Al Qasba, a tourist and family destination in the city of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates has installed two EV charging stations at its car park. To promote the new spots, two BMW i8 made a princely charge stop. The stations are part of a green parking initiative.
menafn.com, emirates247.com
High qualifier: ChargePoint appointed Jennifer Granholm to its Board of Directors. The former governor of Michigan is a law professor at UC Berkeley, senior research fellow at the Berkeley Energy and Climate Institute, and project scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
just-auto.com, prnewswire.com
Leading by example: Government officials in India might soon drive only electric. A proposal by the Department of Heavy Industries for a pilot project will see ministries buy and hire electric vehicles and will first kick off in Delhi. The state will also cover costs that exceed those of petrol- or diesel-powered vehicles.
indianexpress.com
Hybrid buses in Bristol: Two hybrid buses will go into service in the British city, only one year after Bristol won a 1m pound grant by the UK government. The buses switch into electric mode via geo fencing GPS technology in areas with heavy air pollution, while the diesel engine only serves to charge the batteries in areas with better air quality.
masstransitmag.com, firstgroup.com
East London electric: The E-Car Club has set up shop in Bow and Poplar, close to London’s financial centre Canary Wharf. The Renault Zoe and Fluence can be hired for 5.50 GBP an hour.
wharf.co.uk
ICEing prohibited: Anti-ICEing laws has gone into effect in both Oregon and Illinois. In the latter U.S. state, combustion engine cars blocking a charge spot can be fined up to 100 dollars and may be towed. Oregon charges non-chargers a maximum of 250 dollars.
insideevs.com
Shop & Charge: Fred Meyer stores in Oregon are setting up a chain of fast-charging CCS stations. Pricing currently stands at 0.15 dollars per kWh, meaning a BMW i3 could be charged up to 80 percent for less than three dollars and in under 45 minutes.
insideevs.com
30 charging stations is what real estate investment company Emmes Reality Services has set up in its in its public parking garage in downtown San Diego, California. The chargers can be used via the ChargePoint app and are free to use until the end of August.
sdbj.com, seasidecourier.com
Delaware incentivises: The U.S. state earmarked 2.7 million dollars for its Clean Transportation Incentive Program (CTIP). EVs and PHEVs qualify for a 2,200 dollar rebate, while the installation of a charging station will be funded with up to 500 dollars.
ngtnews.com
Budapest buys electric: The city’s public transportation company BKV wants to buy 20 electric midibuses. A tender runs until the end of next month and the buses are set to be delivered by mid-December. So far, Hungarian company Evo Pro seems to be ahead in the running to secure the bid.
hungarytoday.hu
Bristol goes green: Five Nissan Leaf will provide transport for Bristol’s year-long stint as Europe’s Green Capital. The EVs will be used by the Bristol Green Capital 2015 team to deliver a programme of events across the city throughout the year.
fleetnews.co.uk, electriccarsreport.com (with video)
Dutch win Berlin bid: Alliander together with Allego and The New Motion won all three tenders to expand the EV charging infrastructure in the German capital. By October 2016, another 420 charge points and 20 fast chargers will be set up. If demand is strong enough, an additional 700 could follow.
tagesspiegel.de (in German)
Hybrid buses in Bristol: The UK government has granted Europe’s Green Capital 2015 one million pounds (about 1.5 million dollars) to buy hybrid buses that automatically switch to electric when entering areas of poor air quality. The city council will shortly launch a competition to select a bus operator in order start trials before the end of this summer.
bristolpost.co.uk
Tesla chauffeur service: Drivr Green Transportation from Cincinnati operates a chauffeur service with three Model S. The service is so successful that the start-up is now looking to expand its fleet with ten more Teslas in the next few months.
upstart.bizjournals.com
Try before you lease: British Fleetdrive Electric has come up with a new offer for fleet operators who are uncertain if an EV fits their needs. The ‘flexi-lease’ arrangement is used by Slough council and allows them to operate two Nissan Leaf without a long-term commitment – yet.
fleetnews.co.uk
New EV rebate: The California Public Utilities Commission is urging utility providers to offer a one-time rebate check or utility bill credit to EV drivers. Electric car owners could get up to 350 dollars while the incentive for utilities lies in learning where EV owners live and charge.
insideevs.com
Rotterdam electrified, pt. I: APM Terminals is to run a zero-emmision operation at its new deep-water terminal at Rotterdam port. The company leased 35 Nissan e-NV200 and already has electrified all its cranes and Lift-Automatic Guided Vehicles. All machines will be powered by wind-generated energy.
container-mag.com, apmterminals.com
Rotterdam electrified, pt. II: After successfully testing three electric cabs (we reported), Rotterdam Taxi Company (RTC) is to extend its electric fleet. The Dutch taxi company has ordered another 22 e6 electric cabs from BYD which are set to arrive next year.
evfleetworld.co.uk
Free EV parking extended: German city of Stuttgart is to grant free parking to electric cars on all public parking lots until the end of 2017. While the incentive already existed for EVs, it now applies to plug-in hybrids with an electric range of at least 30 kilometres as well. The city already has 175 charge points.
stuttgarter-zeitung.de (in German)
1m pound to improve air quality: The British government has granted one million pounds (1.6m dollars) to 24 projects. Successful applicants include 20,800 pounds (32,400 USD) to buy an EV for Bristol and 128,800 pounds (199,000 USD) for Westminster City Council to erect charging stations.
gov.uk, clickgreen.org.uk
Leading by example: GM is installing 23 new 120V charging outlets at its Renaissance Center in Detroit. The company now has built up about 500 charging stations at 45 GM sites in the States, where employees can charge their PEVs while working.
fastlane.gm.com, 3blmedia.com
Google to launch electric shuttle: After successfully completing the pilot phase of its electric shuttle service at Mountain View (we reported), the internet giant will start the Mountain View Community Shuttle in January. The four electric buses can transport up to 16 passengers and two wheel-chair users. Transport and wireless internet are free of charge.
patch.com
