CABLED Project in UK to Road Test 110 Green Vehicles

The UK's Technology Strategy Board is funding road tests for 340 hybrid and electric vehicles in 2010. The plurality of the board's funds will go toward road tests for 110 green vehicles in the West Midlands. The Coventry and Birmingham Low Emission Vehicle Demonstrators (CABLED) program is using $24 million USD from the board to handle maintenance, leasing and testing of these vehicles. CABLED participants have also drawn $4 million USD from a regional development body called Advantage West Midlands. This regional consortium began this June as a finalist in the Technology Strategy Board's Ultra Low Emission Vehicle Demonstrator Competition. 

Six automakers contributed hybrid and electric vehicles to the CABLED project with 40 smart ed battery-electric vehicles taking the lead. The West Midlands trials will also put 25 Mitsubishi iMiEVs, 25 Tata Indicas,and 10 Microcab fuel cell vehicles to the test. The CABLED project is rounded out by five Land Rover Range_e and five LTI electric taxis. These vehicles will be maintained and observed with the help of 13 public and private institutions in the region including utility firm E.ON, which will supply EV charging stations.

CABLED began testing this week in conjunction with three universities in the West Midlands. Coventry University was involved in selecting a diverse group of 110 drivers to document their experiences with test vehicles. CABLED will work with Aston University on analysis of vehicle performance metrics. The consortium will not only use a hydrogen fueling station at the University of Birmingham but finance an additional station at Coventry for the test period.

The West Midlands is considered an ideal testing ground for a larger hybrid and EV rollout in the United Kingdom. This central England county features 1,500 businesses and 150,000 employees, creating a positive environment for fleet purchases. Automakers like Jaguar, Morgan Cars and Land Rover stationed in the West Midlands contribute 28% of the United Kingdom's entire output of automobiles. The region produces $21 billion in products each year, which means that regional production facilities would not be out of place in the West Midlands. CABLED participants are also eager to demonstrate that green vehicles work outside of the London metro area. Successful tests of 110 EVs and hybrids in the West Midlands would certainly demonstrate to automakers that these vehicles work in smaller industrial centers and rural areas.