London Electric Vehicle Delivery Plan to kick-start the large-scale adoption of electric vehicles

(10/06/2009)

According to Aixam Mega, London Mayor Boris Johnson’s recently announced Electric Vehicle Delivery Plan is a highly positive step towards kick-starting the large-scale adoption of electric vehicles and boosting consumer confidence.

The plan, announced at the C40 Climate Change Summit in Seoul, promises a range of measures to put at least 100,000 electric vehicles on London’s roads as soon as possible, from investment in re-charging infrastructure to financial incentives for consumers.

The plan also guarantees that electric vehicles will remain exempt from the Congestion Charge, a benefit that the Mayor’s office says will save the average electric vehicle user £1700 per year.

Lawrence Holland, general manager of Aixam Mega, which distributes the Mega e-City and Mega Multitrucks in the capital, welcomes the plan.

He said: “I hope that the Mayor and the London Electric Vehicle Partnership will work with us to put more electric vehicles on the road, both in private ownership and in fleets, right now. Current industry opinion is that there will not be any mass market electric cars on the roads for a good while yet, but our electric two and four seat quadricycles are already available, and they have been designed with London traffic conditions in mind. This means that there is scope to start working towards that target of 100,000 electric vehicles straight away.

“Buying an electric vehicle costs more than buying a petrol or diesel-powered equivalent, and so purchasers need to be assured that they will see ongoing savings on fuel, and through other benefits such as free parking. Then they will be confident that they will save money over the life of the vehicle. People also need to see the recharging infrastructure being put in place, so they have confidence in a decision which will ultimately save them money, and improve air quality for everyone.”

Ultra-light electrics such as the Mega e-City and Mega Multitrucks are designed for urban driving and frequent stop-start journeys, and have a range of around 40 miles between charges. The average journey in London is just four miles.

Electric vehicles emit no CO2 or other greenhouse gases on the road. Powered from the domestic grid they reduce environmental impact by around two-thirds (compared with a traditional car) because of their greater efficiency in using energy. Powered from renewable sources, they offer even greener motoring.

Motorists make major savings from day one: the running cost for a Mega e-City is 2-3p per mile. A small petrol or diesel-powered car costs in excess of 20p per mile.

Related categories:  Green cars and environment   Hybrid and electric car   Vans