Can UK lead electric car market?

Later this year a few major car manufacturers and automotive suppliers will start a trial of new electric hybrids to see how the environmental vehicles translate in the real world once they are put through an everyday performance test.

The hope is that the trial will help the UK see how the electric cars meet public expectations so that the UK can become a leader in reducing carbon emissions. Public vehicles, companies, and private citizens have all been selected to participate in the trial to see how performance could be increased to help make hybrids and electric vehicles a much more practical and desirable choice for drivers.

The new project to see how electric vehicles assimilate into daily life is known as the Ultra Low Carbon vehicle Demonstrator Vehicle and will take place in five locations including the West Midlands, Oxford, London, Northeast England, and Glasgow.

After the trial was announced on Tuesday, the Government released news on Wednesday that it would assess the potential of all electric and low carbon vans in the actual world to see how efficient the switch would be to reduce carbon from fuel powered vehicles.

The electric trial versions are going to be provided by Ashwoods, Smith Electric Vehicles, Modec, and Allied Vehicles with an additional funding from the Government of £6 million to help foot the costs of the project.

There are 21 vehicles included in the trial, all of which are high specification sports cars that hopefully will support Science minister Lord Drayson’s emphasis that cars that produce less common do not have to perform less, but that you can have your cake and eat it too. In this case, the case in point is that you can be stylish and environmentally friendly.

Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis commented that the project aims to help make low carbon vehicles a normal part of life on the British roads.