Tag Archives: Boris Johnson

British Companies Promote Use of Electric Cars

30 April, 2012   Karl   No comments

electic car chargeing point hypermiling British Companies Promote Use of Electric Cars

The government has been encouraging the use of electric cars for many years now with the tax credit of up to £5,000 and the extension of local charging point networks. Now British companies are doing their bit to promote electric vehicles (EVs).

British Gas, for example, has launched a new initiative that makes running an electric car easier and cheaper. A new payment plan allows customers to spread the cost of installing charging stations at home or at work by offering zero interest for 12 months on the purchase of their £799 charging point. “Electric cars are coming of age and these new initiatives are part of our continued commitment to make running an electric car easier,” said Dan Taylor, director of new ventures at British Gas.

The company also claims that drivers can save on their bill by only charging their car during the off-peak hours from 8pm until 4 am. “The new Off-Peak Saver tariff gives drivers greater flexibility around when they can charge their electric car or van, as well as helping them spread the cost of paying for a dedicated fast and safe charge point,” Taylor added.

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London installs electric car points for Olympics

28 March, 2012   Karl   No comments

source london hypermiling London installs electric car points for OlympicsWith the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games just months away, London is getting ready for the Olympic electric car fleet. Work began this week on a network of super-fast electric vehicle charging points.

The London Mayor and Transport for London are working in association with LOCOG and fellow London 2012 sustainability partners, EDF, GE and BMW, to install 120 charge points all over the city to support a fleet of zero-emission electric cars set to be used during the Olympic Games.

The charge points will be a legacy for London drivers. After the sport event, the charge stations will join the Source London network, which is the capital’s largest charging network with 307 points.

The electric car points are fast charging and able to fully charge a vehicle in as little as four hours – half of the normal charge time at standard charge points. This will allow more people to use the electric vehicles contributing to the Mayor’s plan of creating the most sustainable Games in history.

“We are determined for London’s Games to be the cleanest, greenest ever and encouraging electric driving to support the sporting spectacular is another way we are achieving this,” Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said.

“The Source London network is currently the largest in the UK and it is now gearing up to support the Olympic and Paralympic electric vehicle fleet,” Boris added. “This will help to deliver cleaner air during the Games and even better, will create a fantastic legacy of fast charging points for Londoners.”

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London Routemaster Hybrid enters service giving twice the MPG and half the emissions

28 February, 2012   Karl   No comments

London Routemaster Hybrid enters service giving twice the MPG and half the emissions

The new Routemaster Hybrid which offers twice the MPG as it’s diesel sibling, hit the dark and gritty streets of London for first time yesterday. The bus is currently serving route 38 for  the lucky people traveling between Victoria and Hackney.

The Hypermiling hybrid bus, modelled on the classic Routemaster, was meant to enter service last week but due to red tape at the Department for Transport it was delayed.

The bus features a diesel-electric hybrid drive system that works a little differently to the current crop of production hybrid cars. It’s diesel engine works as a generator for the electric motor rather than put power to the wheels. The 4.5L diesel unit simply “ticks” over at 1300RPM while powering and recharging the battery packs. This combined with the single speed transition means that the bus offers a very smooth ride for its 87 seats.

The new hybrid double decker 15 per cent more fuel efficient than existing hybrid buses and more than 40 per cent more efficient than existing diesel double-deckers. It’s secondary electric drive system also helps to reduce noise pollution.

The program has already come under fire from Labour MP for Tottenham David Lammy who has rasied concerns regarding the rather steep price tag of the new buses. Each hybrid routemaster costs a whopping £1.4m compared to just £190,000 for a standard double-decker.

Green campaigners have also noted that only 52 of the 800 buses destined for the capitals city streets will be Hybrid. Quashing previous claims by Boris Johnson that all buses entering service from 2o12 will feature hybrid technology.

Boris has defended his new green red hybrids, calling them “the very best in British design, engineering and manufacture. But it’s not just a pretty face, the green innards of this red bus mean it is twice as fuel efficient as a diesel bus and the most environment-friendly of its kind.

“When ordered in greater numbers it will make a significant economic contribution to the manufacturing industries, while also helping deliver a cleaner, greener and more pleasant city.”

Test figures have shown that the Route master Hybrid emits only 640 grams per kilometre (g/km) of carbon dioxide and 3.96 g/km of oxides of nitrogen (NOx). This is less than half the level of carbon dioxide and NOx emitted by a derv powered people movers.

Read more to watch the new Routemaster being built.

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EcoVelocity powers 7000 eco test drives in the UK’s first Low Carbon Motor Festival

17 September, 2011   Karl   No comments

Ecovelocity hypermiling EcoVelocity powers 7000 eco test drives in the UKs first Low Carbon Motor Festival

The  EcoVelocity Low Carbon Motor Festival was held at Battersea Power Station from Thursday 8th to Sunday 11th September 2011. The four day event showcased the latest technology from the world’s leading car manufacturers with many using the festival as a platform to launch their latest cars in the UK.

The show proved to be a hit with both manufactures and the public alike with over 7,000 consumer drives of electric, low and ultra low carbon vehicles driven round the bespoke test track. The purpose built test track that allowed show-goers the unique opportunity to test drive and compare vehicles from each manufacturer.

For those looking to replace their family car or looking for a new hybrid car, the show delivered low carbon driving to the masses together with the unique opportunity to compare green cars from all the major manufacturers.

The show was officially opened by Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who said: ‘It is tremendous that EcoVelocity, the biggest eco car show in Europe, is demonstrating what is available right now as well as the future of clean, green motoring. It fits perfectly into my plan to make London the electric vehicle capital of Europe.”

For more information regarding the event see the EcoVelocity website.

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London Expands its Electric Car Charging Points

31 May, 2011   Karl   No comments

sourcelondon 300x166 London Expands its Electric Car Charging PointsThe Mayor of London Boris Johnson is looking to boost electric car ownership in the city to over 100,000 vehicles making London the electric car capital of Europe. At present just over 17,000 pure electric and plug-in vehicles are registered in our fair capital (not including hybrid car ownership)

On 26 May 2011 saw the launch of the Source London charge point network. The publicly accessible charge points will be located at supermarkets, on the street, London Underground car parks and car parks all over London. Motorists can register with Source London, pay an annual fee of £100 and receive a card in the post which will unlock any of the Source London charge points to charge the vehicle at no additional cost.

Recharging the family car could now be a breeze with the charging network removing many of the downfalls of electric and plug in hybrid car car owner ship. Together with the UK electric car grant and it could be just what London needs to ditch the internal combustion engine and reduce air pollution in the capital.

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NFU rules out high-profile fuel protests, deems them “counter-productive”

27 January, 2011   Karl   1 Comment
PK and Robert Craig 1 NFU rules out high profile fuel protests, deems them counter productive

NFU President Peter Kendall

NFU (National Farmers Union) president Peter Kendall has ruled out a high-profile protest against rising fuel prices, saying it would be counter-productive.

“We are not going to get any public sympathy or support if farmers are seen to be holding up motorway traffic with their tractors,” he said.

He stressed that rising fuel costs were a major concern for farmers and the NFU was taking the subject very seriously.

“As Boris Johnson said this week, there is something wrong when it costs more to fill up your car than fly to Spain. Farmers are not the only ones to be affected by rising fuel prices and it makes sense for us to work together with other organisations.”

He added that high road and heating fuel costs hit rural dwellers hard, particularly the very poor, while the impact on inflation was also significant.

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