Region at forefront of green conference Todd (From The Northern Echo)

Region at forefront of green conference Todd

12:50pm Wednesday 9th September 2009

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A NATIONAL green vehicle conference involving organisations from across the North- East will today be told about a multi-million pound project to help more of the region’s motorists use electric cars.

The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) £11m Joined Cities Plan is designed to make it easier for drivers to charge plug-in vehicles in nine British towns and cities, including Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Newcastle, by encouraging the creation of more charging points.

The scheme was due to be announced at the Low Carbon Vehicle event 2009 (LCV2009), featuring companies from across the country, taking place at Millbrook in Bedfordshire today and tomorrow.

Among the 19 North-East exhibitors at the event will be regional development agency One North East, Nissan, Washington- based Smith Electric Vehicles and Consett firm Romag.

It comes as the North-East aims to be a hub for the electric vehicle industry.

Margaret Fay, chairwoman of One North East, said: “This announcement by the ETI is very welcome and is further recognition of the region’s leading role in the development of low-carbon vehicles.

“A number of important projects in this sector are now coming together in the North- East, which is now to be embedded within the national network of cities. This will only help in accelerating the switch to clean transport, which in turn will help generate new investment and jobs within the region.”

Yesterday, American electric vehicle expert Chelsea Sexton, who will be speaking at the conference, visited Nissan’s Sunderland factory and saw the plant’s test track, which will become an open-access facility for companies looking to develop electric vehicle technology.

In June, the North-East was chosen to take part in the world’s largest trial of the dayto- day viability of electric vehicles.

A consortium including Nissan and Smith Electric Vehicles (part of the Tanfield Group), has received funding from the Government’s Technology Strategy Board to develop electric or low-carbon vehicles.

The North-East trial, involving £3.9m of Government funding and up to £6.7m from the consortium, is one of eight around the country and will put 35 passenger vehicles on the region’s roads later this year or early next year. Smith, working with taxi manufacturer LTI and Ford, is likely to produce the first vehicle for trial, an executive minibus.

The Northern Echo will be reporting from the LCV2009 event on each day.

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