29th April 2003 (Source: DfT )
The Government is asking car makers to design and build a new
affordable, ultra low carbon family car, Alistair Darling Secretary
of State for Transport announced today.
Although development work has started on a new generation of fuel
efficient cars - hydrogen powered for example - these are likely to
be 15 to 20 years from production. As a stepping stone towards that,
more urgent improvements are needed.
So, under a new project called the Ultra Low Carbon Car Challenge,
the motor industry is being asked to submit proposals for a new car
which is capable of travelling 1,000 miles before needing a refill
and of being mass produced within 4 to 8 years.
More than one proposal may be taken forward under the Department for
Transport's New Vehicle Technology Fund which has a budget of #10
million over 3 years. The money will go towards the costs of building
a demonstration vehicle.
The successful demonstration vehicles will be:
- A full size family car
- Affordable and capable of being mass produced within a near to
medium term timescale
- Have tail pipe CO2 emissions of less than 90 grammes per kilometre
(compared with over 175g/km for a similar new petrol car today)
- Be fuel efficient and travel around 1000 miles between refill, with
today's 12 gallon tank.
- Capable of doing 80miles per gallon or more, compared to today's
average of 36 miles per gallon.
Alistair Darling said:
" We must cut down on air pollution caused by cars. I want the
industry to produce an affordable family car for the mass market,
within 4 - 8 years".
"Climate Change means we must change the way we make and use energy.
And it is also an opportunity for this country to exploit our
technology and skills to build competitive advantage in the global
market place - including the multi-billion automotive sector".
"The challenge, which is an essential part of our transport strategy,
shows how new car technology is good for the environment and good for
the car buyer. It also creates new opportunities for this country's
car makers and component industry. It is a stepping stone to even
more fuel efficient cars in the future"
Welcoming the move, Environment Minister Lord Whitty said:
"I wish manufacturers all the best in their efforts to create an
ultra-low carbon car. I hope that the competition will spur them on
to combine innovation and efficiency, in a way that will bring huge
gains for the environment."
The challenge comes at the same time as the Department for Transport
together with DEFRA, The Treasury and the DTI, announced the launch
of 'Driver Cleaner, Drive Cheaper'. The brochure is aimed at car
drivers and shows how they can benefit from the low taxation on
greener fuels and vehicles and Government grants. Notes to editors
The funding is available under the New Vehicle Technology Fund. The
fund is a Department for Transport programme, helping companies to
design, build and road test new vehicle technologies. It links up
with the DTI Foresight Vehicle programme which supports ideas through
the research stages.
Both programmes form part of the Government's Powering Future
Vehicles Strategy, published in July 2002, to promote the UK's shift
to low carbon vehicles and fuels, and to ensure that the UK
automotive industries secure competitive advantage in the global
market place for clean vehicle technologies.
Current New Vehicle Technology Fund projects include the
'Electricity' micro- turbine bus developed by Wrights of Northern
Ireland, hybrid diesel buses and an LPG-fuelled urban delivery van.
The ultra-low carbon car competition is not technology specific - the
requirements are specified in terms of the level of well to wheel CO2
emissions to be achieved, car size and motoring performance, and
affordability.
Ultra-low carbon cars could us a range of technological advances,
including lightweight materials, advanced transmission and gear
systems, and 'hybrid' engine systems which use a combination of
internal combustion engines and battery power to get maximum overall
engine efficiency at every level of speed, with energy used in
braking captured and recycled instead of being thrown away in waste
heat, and the engine switches off automatically when the vehicle is
at rest.
One hybrid car is currently on sale in the UK - the Toyota Prius,
which has CO2 performance of 120 grammes per kilometre. A Honda Civic
hybrid (115g/km) goes on sale in the UK shortly. Purchasers receive a
Government grant of #1,000.
The competition launched today is a challenge to the auto industry to
move a further large step beyond today's best fuel economy and carbon
performance.
Public Enquiries:
Department for Transport Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk
Powering Future Vehicles - the Government Strategy. Published by DfT,
DTI, DEFRA and HM Treasury, with a Foreword by the Prime Minister.
July 2002. Available on www.roads.dft.gov.uk/power.html/index.htm
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