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.
