The count-down to launch of a new all-electric city car, designed and developed in Italy, has begun. Following three years of research and development, the Tazzari ZERO is now presented to the world through a teaser micro-site at www.tazzari-zero.com.

The animated sequence features a tantalising glimpse of the new all-Italian high-performance model, which is due to be launched in July 2009 at a cost of €18,000.

The site claims an impressive set of specifications for the car including: a 150 km range, a top speed of 90 km/h, 0-50 km/h in under five seconds, a 45 minute lithium battery re-charge option, and only 2p per mile motoring costs.

Evert Geurtsen, co-founder of the NICE Car Company, has shown an interest in discussing a potential distribution agreement with Tazzari.

According to Geurtsen, "NICE is currently working with seven international partners and has an impressive portfolio of new cars. The ZERO is a fascinating prospect and London is a burgeoning market; we wish the company every success and look forward to potential partnership discussions in the months to come."

The NICE Car Company has opened a new outlet at London's Westfield Shopping Centre in Shepherds Bush, allowing members of the public hands-on access to NICE's newest models.

Having operated exclusively from its showroom in Ladbroke Grove since 2006, the move into Westfield (which anticipates around 20 million shoppers each year) can be seen as a positive step forward for the company, and a sign of the growing market for electric vehicles.

Members of the public are able to test drive the `Mega City` and the award-winning `MyCar` by booking themselves in at the NICE stand - located near the Wood Lane tube entrance on the ground floor.

Test vehicles will be swiftly delivered to the centre, allowing visitors to take them out on the road, and then return to the centre to finish their shopping or relax in one of the site's restaurants or bars.

"This is another step forward for the NICE Car Company," said co-founder Julian Wilford. "Like our range of all-electric cars, vans and motorcycles, Westfield is stylish and will have a positive effect on its local environment. We look forward to showing visitors that well-designed, safe and affordable electric cars are available to buy right now."

NICE point out that the benefits of electric cars, such as low running costs, no annual road tax, exemption from congestion charges, and free parking, are all well known, but as the economic downturn bites the business case for owning one has never been in sharper focus.

For more information on NICE electric vehicles call the team on 0845 642 3227. For more on Westfield, including directions to the centre, visit www.uk.westfield.com/london.

In line with Camden's emissions-based parking charges, the Borough has now announced further savings for electric vehicle (EV) owners who purchase residents' parking permits.

Resulting from a recently commissioned report compiled by www.travelfootprint.org, which showed clearly the capacity for electric vehicles to reduce environmental impact, the Borough will now offer EV owners parking permits at 25% of Camden's second lowest tariff.

The policy will mean that an annual permit will cost just £21.25, a saving of nearly £50 on their current lowest rate. Furthermore, EVs that are recharged using renewable electricity will have fee waived altogether (owners have to prove purchase of green tariff energy by producing an appropriate electricity bill).

While some Boroughs, such as City of London, have recently withdrawn free parking for electric vehicles, Camden is showing clear intentions to reward those who take steps which complement their policies to tackle climate change and improve air quality.

In addition to reducing residents parking fees, Camden also offer free parking for EVs (for a certain time period and after payment of a £50 annual registration fee) in pay and display bays north of Euston Road. Again, if owners can provide evidence of recharging their EV using renewable energy sources no payment is required.

In addition to Camden's drive to increase EV ownership, the Borough is also making key investments in on-street recharging infrastructure. There are now nine off-street charging points available in Bloomsbury Square car park where EV owners can park for half-price and charge their vehicles for free.

Recent months have also seen five new on-street charging points added south of the Euston Road, accessible at the following locations: Red Lion Square, Store Street, Malet Street, Sardinia Street - near Kingsway, and Charlotte Street.

Access to these points requires registration under the same terms as the pay and display bays outlined above. More details of these, as well as many other charging locations across the capital can be found on Newride's maps of recharging locations Map, along with downloadable registration forms for Camden and other London Boroughs.

GoinGreen, the retailer of the UK’s best selling electric vehicle the Reva G-Wiz, today launches the first dedicated insurance scheme for the G-Wiz driving community in London. The GoinGreen Insurance Services policy has been developed with Heath Lambert, a leading insurance broker, and is underwritten by Chaucer Insurance and is specifically written for G-Wiz electric vehicles therefore offering advantages not found in traditional motoring policies.

Unique benefits of the GoinGreen insurance policy include: courtesy G-Wiz whilst the owner’s own G-Wiz is under repair; all repairs undertaken by GoinGreen, the UK’s only manufacturer-authorised G-Wiz repair centre; a truly green insurance policy with only one printed document; and highly competitive quotes for all London areas including both fully comprehensive and Third Party, Fire and Theft cover.

Steve Hartridge, the managing director of GoinGreen says: "We wanted to extend the benefits received by those choosing emissions-free driving by offering our customers a specially-tailored motoring insurance policy. GoinGreen has consistently broken the mould with bringing electric vehicles to the streets of London and we are pleased to be continuing this tradition by providing a unique insurance product."

Gary Threadgill, associate director for Affinity Partnerships at Heath Lambert comments: ‘As a leading motor insurance broker we are very excited about being part of this initiative and to be able to offer such an innovative insurance solution to clients. The launch of this new facility is very timely given the UK’s commitment to cut greenhouse gases by 80 per cent by 2050 and the Government’s £100 million scheme to test electric cars and vans in cities. This is an expanding and specialist market for us and we are already looking to develop additional environmentally friendly insurance policies to offer to clients across the UK."

Kim Barber, head of the motor division at Chaucer Insurance says: "We are delighted to be working alongside Heath Lambert to deliver a tailor-made insurance policy for a vehicle with such good green credentials. We recognise the importance of this new initiative and the positive effect it will have on the environment. By using our underwriting expertise and knowledge we have been able to develop a truly unique product."

GoinGreen launched the G-Wiz in May 2004 and there are now over 970 G-Wiz driving around London. The new improved-performance G-Wiz i has a range of up to 48 miles per charge, a certified top speed of 50mph and increased safety features Full details at www.goingreen.co.uk. The 2+2 seat G-Wiz, which costs about 1.5p per mile in fuel costs, is exempt from the London Congestion Charge and benefits from free parking and recharging in the City of Westminster (which now has 60 recharging points) with many other boroughs now also installing recharging points and offering incentives for EV owners.

A new Arup and Cenex report jointly commissioned by two government departments concludes that there is significant scope for electric vehicles to play a role in tackling road based transport emissions in the period up to 2030.

The study, which was conducted on behalf of the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Transport (DfT), confirms that over a full life-cycle - taking into account emissions from power generation, production and disposal - an electric vehicle (EV) can offer significant reductions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in comparison to conventional petrol/diesel fuelled vehicles.

Even based on the current standard electricity grid mix (of which roughly 5% comes from renewable sources) it was estimated that EVs provide a 40% reduction in carbon emissions over a standard vehicle. Also highlighted is the potential for these benefits to grow in line with the continuing decarbonisation of the UK’s electricity generation industry.

While some have doubted the feasibility of large numbers of people charging their vehicles simultaneously from the grid, the report finds that the current electricity infrastructure would be able to cope with the increasing demand resulting from mass market uptake. This is assuming however that charging is managed and targeted at off-peak periods where demand is low. The recommendations of the report suggest that charging of vehicles during off-peak times could be facilitated by introducing a variable tariff related to grid demand.

Despite a number of volume manufacturers announcing their intentions to develop EVs and PHEVs (Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles), the report states that due to development lead times, widespread availability of EVs and PHEVs is unlikely before 2014. Before that time it is anticipated that market supply will be constrained, and uptake will remain with ‘early adopters’ who consist mainly of `green` consumers and those who live in congestion charge areas.

The report also acknowledges that increased manufacturing of EVs and PHEVs will not, in isolation, result in significant levels of uptake. It suggests that a number of socio-political measures must also be implemented in order to achieve market penetration. These measures include: programmes to raise awareness and understanding, and increase confidence amongst consumers; stimulation of the market through appropriate fiscal incentives; and logistical issues, such as the provision of an appropriate charging infrastructure. Without significant support and investment in these measures the report concludes, a `business as usual` scenario will result.

The authors recommend the creation of a UK EV forum, which they say could be either physical or virtual, and would bring together the many stakeholders involved including: policy makers, vehicle manufacturers, electricity generators and distributors, technology specialists, research establishments, urban designers and transport planners. Their recommendations also include the creation of a 20 year roadmap for the development of EVs and PHEVs and further research into environmental issues associated with lithium-ion batteries.

The report calls for efforts to inform the public about benefits of EV ownership over the medium to longer term. It anticipates up front capital costs for EVs and PHEVs being comparatively high ‘for the foreseeable future’, and suggests therefore that consumers must be made aware of how they stand to profit over time.

Arup and Cenex report, BERR, LowCVP