UK Department for Transport Appoints Cenex the Delivery Partner in Low Carbon Vehicle Program

4 April 2008

The UK Department of Transport has appointed Cenex, the UK’s Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies, as the delivery partner to develop the new Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Programme (LCVPP).

Initial funding of £20 million (US$40 million) is available to help meet the additional costs for public sector organizations of procuring innovative, lower carbon vehicles, with the potential of a further £30 million if early results are successful. The program will focus on the development of lower-carbon vans in the first phase, with smaller scale procurements of lower-carbon minibuses, all-electric vans, and plug-in hybrid passenger cars.

The aim of the program, announced in the May 2007 Energy White Paper, is to accelerate the introduction of lower carbon technologies onto the UK vehicle market, with the ultimate objective of reducing overall carbon emissions from the vehicle fleet. (Earlier post.)

Cenex will play a key role in establishing public sector demand for lower-carbon vehicles and in developing tenders for vehicle manufacturers to supply them. The programme provides an opportunity for vehicle manufacturers and suppliers to demonstrate products in high-profile public sector fleets, while allowing public sector organizations to trial low-carbon vehicles in real-world conditions and reduce their carbon footprint without incurring a cost penalty. Initial public sector partners identified include the Environment Agency, HM Revenue & Customs, the Metropolitan Police, the Royal Mail, Transport for London and the Government Car & Despatch Agency.