Pioneering motorists will receive up to £5,000 to buy an ultra-low carbon car, and the roll-out of supporting infrastructure will begin in selected regions, the Government announced today.

The Plug-in Car Grant will be distributed directly to the consumer at the point of purchase and will be available across the UK from January 2011, by which time a range of eligible vehicles is expected to be available.

Also included in the Government's plans is the roll-out of a £30m fund for a network of electric vehicle hubs, called Plugged-In Places, which will see charging infrastructure appearing in car parks, major supermarkets, leisure and retail centres, as well as on the street. The first Plugged-In Places were today named today as London, Milton Keynes and the North East; and between them they will be installing over 11,000 vehicle recharging points during the next three years.

The initiatives are part of a £450 million Government strategy to support the creation of a flourishing early market for ultra-low carbon vehicles. The programme will help to meet the UK's commitment to reduce carbon emissions from transport; as well as creating new business opportunities for UK-based companies in the automotive and charging infrastructure sectors.

Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis said, "Decarbonising transport isn't an aspiration - it's a reality. By this time next year, cutting edge motorists will be on the roads with these next generation cars they've purchased because of our help. Thanks to the Plugged-In Places we will have in place infrastructure to support this growing early market."

"Transport has a huge part to play in helping the UK meet its stringent emission reduction targets and today's announcement is another step on the road to putting the UK at the global forefront of ultra-low carbon vehicle development, manufacture and use."

Business minister Pat McFadden said, "Low Carbon vehicles are an important part of the broader shift to a low carbon economy. We have already committed £450 million to delivering our ambitious vision of supporting suppliers of low carbon technology, encouraging demand from consumers and enabling lead UK cities and regions to switch on charging infrastructure. The Government is focusing on this sector as a priority and we are committed to helping British businesses take advantage of the growth potential and job opportunities this presents."

The Plug-in Car Grant will significantly reduce prices by providing 25% towards the cost of a new car, capped at £5,000, and will be open to both private and business fleet buyers. To be eligible for the scheme, cars will have to pass performance criteria to ensure safety, range, and ultra-low tailpipe emissions.

The Plugged-In Places will provide the charge points to support these vehicles, demonstrating how electric vehicle charging works in practice in a range of different settings, as well as testing innovative technologies such as rapid charging, inductive charging and battery swap.

A second competition for Plugged-in Places funding is to follow later in the year, with consortia from the West Midlands, Cornwall, Sheffield, the Lake District, Greater Manchester and Northern Ireland having already confirmed their intention to bid for the next wave of funding.

These measures, to be delivered by the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), will move the UK further towards its ambitious carbon reduction targets. They will also support the UK automotive, charging infrastructure and other related supply chain industries in realising the economic opportunities that a shift to low carbon represents.

The programme budget includes:
* £230m plug-in car grant
* £30m plugged in places
* £140m RD&D support through the Technology Strategy Board
* £20m low carbon vehicle public procurement programme
* £30m Green Bus Fund

Newspress

The Honda 3R-C, a revolutionary one-person electric vehicle concept, will make its world debut in Geneva alongside the EV-N concept, to be displayed for the first time in Europe. Both the three-wheeled 3R-C and the EV-N urban concept draw on Honda's vast working knowledge of vehicles utilising electric motors.

This revolutionary 3R-C, shows what a future minimal urban transport vehicle for one person might look like. The battery electric drivetrain is mounted low in the three wheeled chassis, therefore keeping the centre of gravity low and thus improving stability.

The 3R-C has a clear canopy that covers the driver's seat while it is parked and not in use. When 3R-C vehicle is in motion, the canopy becomes an enveloping wind-shield that provides the pilot, who sits low in the vehicle, with significant protection from the bodywork and doors.

The high sides of the safety shell seat give greater safety to the occupant, reducing the threat from side impacts and improving weather protection. In front of the driver is a lockable boot area, which gives significant secure storage for luggage or other items. The 3R-C's designers created a flexible cover that surrounds the upper torso to reduce exposure to bad weather and improving comfort.

The EV-N concept, previously shown at the Tokyo Motor Show, will make its European debut in Geneva. It shows the potential application of battery technology in a small, stylish city car. A design study that evokes the spirit of the diminutive 1967 N360 city car, the EV-N features Honda's own solar panels in the roof, which could charge the car while it is parked. The two-door EV-N concept is envisioned with a Lithium ion battery pack, and small electric motor for predominantly urban use.

The two concept vehicles will be displayed alongside Honda's production fuel cell electric vehicle, the FCX Clarity. The World Green Car winner is being leased by customers in Japan and the US, who are testing the range, performance and practicality of this unique zero-emission vehicle. The FCX Clarity shows Honda's continuing commitment to fuel cell electric vehicles as the ultimate zero harmful emission mobility technology.

Newspress

The Hertz Corporation, the world's largest general use car rental brand, today announced it has entered a joint commitment with Nissan to bring zero-emission mobility to car rental in the US and Europe by early 2011. Under the terms of their Memorandum of Understanding, Hertz will develop a program for the roll-out of Nissan LEAF at select rental sites in those two major markets.

As the world's first affordable, zero-emission car, Nissan LEAF ushers in a new era of eco-mobility that is in line with rising consumer demand across Europe. Designed specifically for a lithium-ion battery-powered chassis, the medium-size hatchback comfortably seats five adults and has a range of about 100 miles (160km) as tested by the LA4 Test Cycle, to satisfy real-world consumer requirements. The car will go on sale in Japan, the US and Europe in late 2010.

"The partnership with Nissan seals Hertz's commitment to green-car rentals and firmly demonstrates our mission to advancing zero-emission mobility on a global scale," said Mark Frissora, Hertz Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "With unique solutions like the Hertz Green Collection already available to our customers, we believe in continuously providing innovative mobility solutions to sustain the growing demand for eco-travel," he added.

Toshiyuki Shiga, Chief Operating Officer of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. commented: "Our partnership with Hertz is an important step towards our goal of promoting widespread acceptance of electric vehicles. Together with our Alliance partner Renault, we aim to be the leader in zero-emission vehicles which we believe are one of the best solutions for sustaining the growing need for transport across the globe."

The Renault-Nissan Alliance will start mass-marketing electric vehicles globally in 2012. To lay the foundations for widespread expansion, the Alliance has already formed partnerships with more than 40 governments, cities and other organizations in Japan, the US and Europe to advance the deployment of EV's worldwide. This includes developing a comprehensive charging infrastructure through public and private investment; incentives and subsidies from local, regional, and national governments; and public education on the individual and societal benefits of zero-emission mobility.

In the future, Hertz and Nissan plan to expand Nissan LEAF electric vehicles into Hertz's global car share service, "Connect by Hertz." By applying the same innovative model to car sharing, this would allow the Renault-Nissan Alliance to scale up availability and acceptance of electric vehicles across a wide consumer base in some of the world's most densely populated cities.

"The flexibility and environmental credentials offered by the existing 'Connect by Hertz' fleet presents an ideal opportunity for the expansion of electric cars into the car-share market," added Frissora. "With its performance and energy efficient technology, we're confident that Nissan LEAF will be popular with existing customers and help attract new eco-conscious motorists."

Researchers from Imperial College, London and Volvo Car Corporation are developing a prototype material which can store and discharge electrical energy (act as a battery) and which is also strong and lightweight enough to be used for car parts.

Ultimately, they expect that this material could be used in hybrid petrol/electric vehicles to make them lighter, more compact and more energy efficient, enabling drivers to travel for longer distances before needing to recharge their cars.

In addition, the researchers believe the material, which has been patented by Imperial College, could potentially be used for the casings of many everyday objects such as mobile phones and computers, so that they would not need a separate battery. This would make such devices smaller, more lightweight and more portable.

According to the project co-ordinator, Dr Emile Greenhalgh, from the Department of Aeronautics at Imperial College: "We are really excited about the potential of this new technology. We think the car of the future could be drawing power from its roof, its bonnet or even the door, thanks to our new composite material. We're at the first stage of this project and there is a long way to go, but we think our composite material shows real promise."

In the new project, the scientists are planning to develop the composite material so that it can be used to replace the metal flooring in the car boot, called the wheel well, which holds the spare wheel. Volvo is investigating the possibility of fitting this wheel well component into prototype cars for testing purposes.

The team says replacing a metal wheel well with a composite one could enable Volvo to reduce the number of batteries needed to power the electric motor. They believe this could lead to a 15% reduction in the car's overall weight, which should significantly improve the range of future hybrid cars.

Current hybrid cars consist of an internal combustion engine, which is used when the driver accelerates the car, and an electric motor powered by batteries, which turns on when the car is cruising. The cars need a large number of batteries to power the electric motor, which makes the vehicle heavier, meaning that the car uses up more energy and the batteries need regular recharging at short intervals.

The researchers say that the composite material that they are developing, which is made of carbon fibres and a polymer resin, will store and discharge large amounts of energy much more quickly than conventional batteries. In addition, the material does not use chemical processes, making it quicker to recharge than conventional batteries. Furthermore, this recharging process causes little degradation in the composite material, because it does not involve a chemical reaction, whereas conventional batteries degrade over time.

For the first stage of the project, the scientists are planning to further develop their composite material so that it can store more energy. The team will improve the material's mechanical properties by growing carbon nanotubes on the surface of the carbon fibres, which should also increase the surface area of the material, which would improve its capacity to store more energy.

The 3-year European Union funded project includes researchers from the Departments of Chemistry, Aeronautics and Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology at Imperial College London. European academic and industrial partners include Swerea SICOMP, INASCO Hella, Chalmers, Advanced Composites Group, Nanocyl, Volvo Car Corporation, Bundesanstalt Fur Material forschung undprufung, ETC Battery and Fuel Cells Sweden.

Imperial College