If every cloud has a silver lining, then apparently every silver lining has a cloud.

Just as the good news came in that average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new cars in the UK had fallen by 5.4 per cent over the last 12 months (see article) representing the best year-on-year improvement since records began in 1997, rumours began to swirl that tax breaks for cleaner vehicles would have to be re-jigged.

Success story

The latest research from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealed that average CO2 emissions for new cars stood at 149.5g/km last year. Even more encouragingly, the number of vehicles sold with emissions below the 120g/km threshold nearly doubled over the last 12 months from just 11 per cent in 2008 to 20.4 per cent in 2009.

Across the entire UK fleet of 30million cars, average CO2 emissions now stand at 175.1g/km. That is Europe’s third best net improvement since 2000.

Indeed the move towards green cars is noticeable across nearly all car sizes. Even the mini-car segment, which already produced vehicles with comparatively low emission levels, managed to make the best year-on-year segment improvement cutting CO2 emissions by 6.7 per cent. The luxury car segment, the most heavily polluting band, saw emissions fall by six per cent compared to 2008. Indeed cars with emissions in the range of 131-140g/km are now in the most popular band, down from the 151-160g/km sector last year.

What’s driving the success?

There are many reasons behind the drop in emissions including manufacturers pouring more money into producing more efficient engines. Simply put, cars are greener than they were two years ago and so it makes sense that emission levels should fall.

However, one of the key driving forces behind the change is government incentives, including emissions-linked vehicle excise duty and the scrappage incentive.

According to the SMMT, average CO2 emissions of cars bought through the scrappage scheme was 133.3g/km – that’s 26.8 per cent below the average emissions of vehicles being scrapped at 182.3g/km.

What does the future hold?

The scrappage scheme is about to end and with lower carbon cars generating substantially less vehicle excise duty than heavier polluting vehicles, fears are mounting that tax hikes may follow. Paul Everitt, the chief executive of the SMMT, commented that “people want greener cars and the market is responding by producing them… so either the Government will have to accept a lower income or it will end up shifting the CO2 thresholds.”

Indeed car tax is already scheduled for its first increase beginning in April with the introduction of the first year rate that doubles the level for the first 12months. Everitt believes that the time has come for the Government to sit down with the motoring industry and outline its future tax regime or else manufacturers will produce cars that customers will buy, only for them to fall on the wrong side of a revised CO2 threshold.

Thankfully, the Department of Transport has already announced that it will offer electric car buyers subsidies worth as much as 25 per cent of a car’s recommended retail price up to a value of £5,000, as part of a scheme that runs until 2014 suggesting there will be support for a new generation of green vehicles (see article).

Our verdict

It only makes sense that the CO2 tax bands will be adjusted over time. As cars become greener and produce fewer emissions, the incentives should follow. In fact it’s encouraging to think that in maybe 10-15 years vehicles with emissions in the 120g/km range may be considered among the largest polluters even though they are the green vehicles of today.

However, what’s important is that the Government doesn’t lose sight of its objectives and doesn’t pull the proverbial rug from under well-intentioned motorists before it has truly achieved its goals.

Despite encouraging signs, the UK’s average new CO2 level is still only the 10^th greenest out of a European top 15. That suggests that there is still ground to be made up and any incentive adjustments should be carried out with forethought. It’s also important that the Government clearly outlines any adjustments significantly ahead of time so car buyers aren’t punished for what they thought were choices that would allow them to pay lower tax rates. Currently, we only know the tax regime for the next 12 months and if adjustments are planned they should be outlined as soon as possible.

The introduction of electric car incentives suggests that buyers will at least continue to be encouraged to make choices that are not only smart for their wallet, but smart for the environment too. However, until there is a large fleet of electric vehicles to choose from and suitable infrastructure in place to make driving these cars plausible for more than just a handful of motorists, the Government should continue to incentivise greener choices with regards to cars with combustion engines.

Faye Sunderland

The Geneva Motor Show may have closed its doors, but there was still time for another series of exciting range extended electric car concepts to be revealed.

This time it was the turn of Malaysian car manufacturer Proton, which unveiled the five-door, four-seat hatchback EMAS; a three-door, five-seat hatchback EMAS Country for country driving; and a three-door, 3+1 seat EMAS3 for city driving.

Proton EMAS drive system elements.

As it bids to expand its global footprint, Proton is focusing on eco-friendly vehicles with EMAS standing for Eco Mobility Advance Solution, while also meaning “gold” in the Malay language. The EMAS vehicles are the result of collaboration between Proton, its subsidiary Lotus, and Italian design house Italdesign Giugiaro. 

The drivetrain for the vehicles has been developed by Lotus Engineering and includes the Lotus Range Extender three-cylinder, 1.2litre internal combustion engine. It can develop 38kW at 3,500rpm and can run on petrol, natural gas, ethanol or methanol. The front transverse internal combustion engine is coupled with a generator that recharges the 11.47kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

Five-door hatchback Proton EMAS.

The engine boasts some impressive performance statistics. Its top speed is 106mph and it can accelerate from 0-62mph in 14 seconds. Battery range in the hybrid configuration is 31miles.  

Proton is now hoping that the EMAS3 can be fitted with a larger battery pack so that a full electric version can be made available.

Business Minister Ian Lucas switched on the UK’s first publicly-available solar-powered electric vehicle charging point at Gateshead Civic Centre today as he visited one of the country’s leading low carbon economic area.

Funded by regional development agency, One North East, the  solar-powered canopy is manufactured through a partnership between solar PV producer, Romag and steel-sheet manufacturer, Tegrel and has been delivered and installed by British Gas. This collaboration intends to deliver solar-powered charging stations across the region.

Switching on the charging point, the minister said: “Innovative products like the PowerPark and innovative companies like Romag, Tegrel and British Gas are showing how knowledge and skills are putting the country in a prime position to benefit from global demand for low carbon technologies.”

The new ‘PowerPark’ at Gateshead Civic Centre is a car parking canopy made with PowerGlaz PV panels. Such ‘PowerPark’ canopies are suitable for use in car parks at airports, stations, supermarkets, shopping centres, offices and public buildings including sports and leisure facilities. The canopy generates electricity which can be sold into the national grid as well as charging electric vehicles.

Gateshead Council has ordered 10 electric and four hybrid vans which are due to start replacing diesel powered vehicles this spring and is also seriously investigating the potential to begin the replacement of its car fleet with electric models thanks to plans to roll-out recharging infrastructure across the region. It is also investing in a network of charging points at public buildings as part of the Plugged in Places scheme.

One North East, British Gas, Romag and Tegrel entered into a collaboration last year to support the development of low carbon vehicle infrastructure in North East England as part of the regional installation of 1,300 electric vehicle charging points.

Ian Lucas also announced £8.4m funding for a new training centre for the low carbon vehicle industry, after meeting students from Gateshead College who will be using it to learn new low carbon skills.

The new centre will train those already working in the sector, young people and adults, and students from age 14 upwards in manufacturing and maintenance for ultra low carbon vehicles.

It will give learners access to the latest technology and production methods which already play an important role in the region, with companies including Nissan, Smith Electric Vehicles and AVID Vehicles all working on a low carbon future. The project will create a 5,658m² national Skills Academy for Sustainable Manufacturing and Innovation in Sunderland.

The £8.4m National Training Centre for Sustainable Manufacturing will be part of Semta’s National Skills Academy for Manufacturing, and has been made possible thanks to the partnership between the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) Gateshead College, Semta, One North East and Nissan. The support for the programme includes £4.2m from LSC, £2.4m from One North East and £917,000 from Gateshead College.

Richard Thorold, principal of Gateshead College said: “This new training centre will be a major asset for the region. It will be a world class training facility for employers, apprentices and students, providing new skills for new jobs.”

Gateshead is part of the North East’s LCEAs (Low Carbon Economic Area).

French car manufacturer Renault has joined forces with a host of companies to establish an e-mobility project in the Rhine-Ruhr region.

The project’s aim is to integrate electric mobility into everyday traffic along the A40 motorway. Charging infrastructure will be built in the towns of Mulheim, Essen and Dortmund by mid-2011 and data will be collected to enable the development of marketable products, including GPS devices, with a clear charging station overview.

The vehicle fleet includes 40 Renault pre-production electric vehicles and 110 converted electric cars, based on the Fiat 500 and Karabag 500E that RWE will provide as lease vehicles.

The Renault models expected to be incorporated into the project include the Kangoo Express zero emission utility vehicle and the Fluence zero emission mid-range family saloon car. Both of the vehicles are expected to be launched in Europe in 2011 and are capable of a range of 160km with both standard and quick charging available. As an added bonus, Fluence batteries can also be exchanged using the quick-drop system.

The project will receive support from the German Ministry for Traffic, Construction and Urban Development to the tune of around €7million. Participants in the scheme include RWE Effizienz GmbH; Renault Deutschland AG; automotive engineering research company Forschungsgesellschaft Kraftfahrwesen mbH Aachen (fka); and the Institut für Hochspannungstechnik (High-Voltage Engineering Institute) of RWTH Aachen University.

An international safety standard for electric and hybrid vehicles has been adopted this week as the ‘World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations’. 

The adoption of the new type approval clears the way for the early uptake of electric cars across 41 countries which have mutual recognition of this approval.

The new regulations cover all types of electric vehicles: pure electric, hybrid, plug-in, as well as hydrogen fuel cells vehicles as regards to electric safety requirements.  They set electric safety requirements of all types of electric road vehicles (passenger and commercial vehicles) which can exceed 25 km/h. One of the key requirements is that vehicles must provide users with an effective protection against electric shocks.

The World Forum-a subsidiary body of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)-is responsible for developing vehicle regulations aimed at increasing vehicle safety and environmental performance. It adopted the new version of UNECE Regulation No. 100 on Wednesday during its March session which concludes today.

This change in UNECE Regulation No. 100 reflects the growing interest of both manufacturers and customers for electric and hybrid vehicles, as evidenced at the Geneva motor show this year.

It offers car manufacturers the legal instrument to put into the market passenger and commercial vehicles with greener standards, reducing the costs and delays associated with multiple approvals in various countries.

The list of countries that that recognise the  UNECE Regulation No. 100 includes the 27 Member States of the European Union, the European Union itself, as well as Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Malaysia, Montenegro, Norway, Russian Federation, Serbia, Switzerland, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia and Turkey.  Several Asian countries, including Japan, are expected to apply the new version soon.

An unknown Silicon valley start up is planning to save the New United Motor Manufacturing (NUMMI)  plant in California.

The plant which operated as a joint venture between Toyota and GM, currently employs around 4,700 people but is set to close at the end of this month as its contract ends. However the small-time electric car maker called Aurica Motors hopes to move in and save the jobs at the Fremont-based plant.

Aurica Motors says that when current production at the plant ceases on March 31, it wants to convert the facilities at NUMMI to produce its concept E-Car model-potentially saving all 4,700 jobs. Not only that- the start up says that another 50,000 jobs or more employed within a network of part makers and suppliers are dependant on the future of the plant.

The plans to save the manufacturing facility will depend on Federal support in the form of stimulus funding as well as Department of Energy grants.

On the firm’s website, the company proclaims its E-Car (depicted above) is a car with a purpose-‘to make electric cars more practical while saving 4700 NUMMI jobs, the Bay Area economy, and the environment – all at the same time’. That’s a tall order.

Little is known about the E-Car but its designers say it will go further on a single than ever possible before. Estimated to be capable of 0-60 mph in 4 or 5 seconds, the car will also be able to be recharged in less than three minutes in one of the firm’s own Power Exchange Package (PEP) charging kiosks, quickly swapping out its battery and replacing it with a freshly charged one. The firm claims the car can be independent of the grid too- sourcing all of its electricity from renewable sources only- solar, wind and tidal energy.

The truly 100 per cent emission-free car is also made to last too- 20 years or more is estimated for both the body and drive system with minimal maintenance. Instead of buying a new car every 2 to 5 years, the maker says buyers can swap out an older body style into a brand new look for less than a third the price of a new car- minimising waste.

The Aurica E-Car Series will begin with four body styles all built to fit on the same standard chassis. It will be offered as a sporty economy car, a mid-sized 4-door sedan, a stylish SUV hatchback, or a light pickup truck.

If it plans succeed, the hugely ambitious firm hopes to see its first car off the production line within two years.

Tesla has revealed a new concept electric car at the Geneva Motor Show.

Designed by the  Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) of Turin, the new electric car concept has been a highlight of the Swiss show, which after two weeks entertaining the public, closes this weekend.

Called the Eye, the new concept was created by 11 students on the university’s Transportation Design MA program under the supervision of Tesla’s Design Director, Franz von Holzhausen.

Based on an idea by Jorge Andrés Pinilla Fonseca, the fully electric 2+2 -seat concept is a C-segment car for a young, cosmopolitan target demographic.

Measuring 4250mm in length and 1800mm wide, the concept stands 1360mm high and has a 2650mm wheelbase. It incorporates a black plexiglass front mask and an innovative roof structure that enables the vehicle to become a semi-open car with a loading bay similar to that of a pickup truck.

Known for producing and designing its Roadster model, Tesla specialise in all- electric high performance cars. Its Roadster model is capable of 0-60 in 3.9 seconds and can travel up to 236 miles on a single charge.

The silicon valley firm, which recently filed a registration statement for a proposed initial public offering of its common stock, is rumoured to be planning to stop making the Roadster-its one and only full production model. Although another concept model called the Model S is planned for production, the future of the firm is as yet undecided. As such, hopes for a full production Eye model are probably beyond hope at the moment. For more details on Tesla’s plans, read our recent Green Piece article on the US firm.

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV has continued its European adventure after the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding with MM Automobile Schweiz AG and Alpiq Holding AG, the country’s largest electricity provider, in Switzerland.

The three parties will work together to confirm the viability of electric vehicles and quick charger units and promote the new generation i-MiEV in the country.

Alpiq sees the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and electric mobility as an innovative solution to develop individual means of transport without CO2 emissions.

The i-MiEV has already made its way to the country as part of the Geneva International Motor Show. It is being made available for test drives within the show’s Green Pavilion. The show runs until March 14.

Australia has launched its first ever trial of electric vehicles today at the University of Western Australia (UWA).

A first trial of ten electric vehicles specially converted to run on electric power, was launched toady by Western Australia’s Transport Minister Simon O’Brien at the university grounds.

The ten vehicles will begin the two year trial with The West Australian, RAC, Telstra, Main Roads WA, City of Perth, City of Swan, Water Corp, Landcorp, Department of Environment and Conservation, and Department of Transport all to take a vehicle each to test as part of the real world testing of electric vehicles.

Around 10 fast-recharge bays will be installed around Western Australia’s capital Perth for use by the fleet participants, while the university will study the use and performance of the vehicles to produce a research project which will aim to provide the insights needed to enable the wider introduction of electric vehicles. Initiated by CO2 Smart Pty Ltd, a electric vehicle fleet management company, the trial will be used to track and collect data on the performance of the electric vehicles.

UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Robson said the project reflected the University’s strong commitment to renewable energy solutions.

Managing Director of the WA Electrical Vehicle trial and CO2 Smart CEO Terry Mader said: "We are excited at the opportunity to manage the first Australian EV fleet trial, which is the first serious Australian implementation of electric vehicles into large government and corporate fleets.  CO2 Smart is an integrated electric vehicle fleet management company, working with organisations to lower per kilometre costs as well as remove vehicle-related CO2 emissions.  This includes correct vehicle selection, the required recharging network and organisational support."

Trial technical director Professor Thomas Braunl said the first Australian electric vehicle trial would be conducted in conjunction with the first Australian fast-charging network trial, which will reduce charging times to less than one third of slow charging.

"With these two interconnected trials we are trying to find out how electric vehicles can cope in the real world, what benefits they bring and also what problems can arise and how they can be solved," Professor Braunl said.

"The charging data collected will allow us to predict future EV infrastructure requirements as well as future electricity demands and grid loads, when more cars will be electric."

On-road testing of the prototype is due to begin in May.

There have been some unique and innovative ideas tossed around as we inch closer towards the electrification of vehicles – and this one is definitely up there with the best of them.

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has deployed a prototype implementation of an online electric vehicle (OLEV) technology. This picks up electricity from power cables that are buried underground using a non-contact magnetic charging method.

According to KAIST, it’s an important development towards the commercialisation of electric vehicles and its demonstrator has replaced a trackless combustion engine train running inside Seoul Grand Park.

So how does it work?

The equipment installed underneath the vehicle collects electricity from a roadway and distributes it either to operate the vehicle or for battery storage. This means that whether the vehicle is running or stopped it is constantly receiving electric power from the underground cables and so there is no need to fit the vehicles with large battery packs – in fact the online electric vehicles use batteries that are one-fifth of the size of those installed in electric vehicles that are currently on the market.

The road with the recharging strips is divided into several segments so when a car drives on a certain segment a sensor is turned on and it can pick up the electricity. According to research, if it was applied to the public bus system in South Korea, the power lines would need to be installed on only 20 per cent of the bus route – such as at bus stops, intersections and in car parks.

KAIST has already submitted more than 120 applications for patent rights to develop online electric vehicles and has established a road map for research and development with the aim to reach commercialisation by 2013.