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Paris Autolib EV rental scheme goes live

07 Dec 2011

A new electric car rental scheme has gone live in Paris this week – the new Autolib system allows you to rent a vehicle in a similar way to London's 'Boris Bikes' scheme.

The project went live on Monday with 250 electric vehicles. The small EVs are called 'Bluecars'; 4-seater pure electric citycars that can be docked at a number of bays around Paris, each equipped with charging facilities.

Users of the scheme will be charged hourly for between 4 and 9 Euros, on top of a daily (€10), weekly (€15) or annual (€144) subscription charge. Members will simply receive a card that can be swiped against the window of the car, which will unlock the door to begin your session.

New electric cars are to be added each month, with the target of having 3,000 cars and 1,200 charging stations in operation ... More »

Fuel duty rise delayed until August 2012

29 Nov 2011

In his Spending Review, the Chancellor today deferred the 3.02 pence per litre (ppl) fuel duty increase that was due to take effect on 1st January 2012 until August 2012.

The inflation increase that was due for August 2012 will also be cancelled – this was expected to be worth 1.92 ppl. This will mean that there will only be one RPI increase during 2012.

There will also be a 5 ppl discount in fuel duty for our remote islands, the Inner Hebrides, the Northern Isles, the islands in the Clyde and the Isles of Scilly, which will come into force on 1st March 2012.

In August 2012, the duty rate for leaded petrol and compressed natural gas will change by the same monetary amount as the main UK fuel duty, and the duty for aviation fuel and rebated oils will change in ... More »

LowCVP honours Low Carbon Champions

15 Nov 2011

Leaders in the drive to cut carbon emissions from road transport have been announced at a prestigious ceremony in London.

The LowCVP Low Carbon Champions Awards recognise best practice in key areas from vehicle manufacturing and fleet operation to the development of products and services that reduce greenhouse gases from road transport operations.

The winners were announced at the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) Gala Reception, held at One Birdcage Walk, Westminster, at an event held in association with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).

The Awards presentation was preceded by a keynote speech from Tony Juniper, independent environmental adviser and writer and former Executive Director of Friends of the Earth. Tony Juniper emphasised the importance of leadership in the face of the climate challenge. He said: "It's all too easy to take a back‐seat on this agenda. We need much more leadership. ... More »

Volvo supports UK air quality campaign

15 Nov 2011

Volvo is backing the House of Commons Environmental Audit Select Committee's call for a Government public awareness campaign to educate people about the action they could take to improve air quality, and ultimately their health.

In 2010, Volvo launched its Emissions Equality campaign, dedicated to educating motorists about the wider picture of car emissions, rather than just CO2 alone. It is well understood that pollutants such as NOx, hydrocarbons and particulates are key contributors to poor air quality, especially in urban areas.

Volvo believes that as part of the Government public awareness campaign, the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) should automatically make detailed and accurate emissions data more widely available on every car sold in the UK. This could then be used by customers during the purchase process to make a more informed choice of car.

According to the EAC, poor air quality is ... More »

Most councils slow to install EV chargers

03 Nov 2011

Only a third of councils surveyed by the RAC Foundation say they have installed public charging points for electric vehicles, and the promotion of green vehicles varies significantly between local authorities.

Even the most progressive authorities are only using a fraction of the powers available to them to encourage drivers to use low and ultra-low carbon cars.

The survey of councils was carried out by the transport consultancy SKM Colin Buchanan on behalf of the RAC Foundation, in June 2011. All 207 councils in England, Scotland and Wales were invited to take part in the survey, with 58 (28%) agreeing to do so.

Of these 58 local authorities, only 20 said they had installed public charging points – of those that were in place, none were of the rapid charge type. In total, councils reported they had installed 275 charging points.

... More »

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