Greater Brighton is set to benefit from a major government investment in low-emission vehicles as part of a shift to cleaner, greener transport.
Announced at the Smart Transport conference by the Future of Mobility Minister, the funding will see almost 300 rapid chargepoints and 46 fast chargepoints installed for ultra-low emission taxis in 17 local authorities, including Brighton and Hove.
In a further boost to the City Region more than £3 million will be invested in creating a hydrogen refuelling infrastructure project in Crawley for more than 50 vehicles.
This announcement marks another milestone in the delivery of the government’s Road to Zero strategy and the Future of Mobility Grand Challenge which aims to usher in cleaner, greener journeys through UK engineering and technological innovation.
Jesse Norman, Future of Mobility Minister, said: “The government wants all new cars and vans to be effectively zero emission by 2040. Getting the right infrastructure and investment in place is a crucial part of this. Today’s funding will support almost 4,000 ultra low emission vehicles across the country. It is a further sign that the UK is making real progress in the transition to greener transport.”
Richard Harrington, Automotive Minister, said: “The UK has led the world in cutting emissions while maintaining growth in our economy. These new charge points for greener taxis will help accelerate a cleaner environment for people across the UK. This will also point the way for a better, healthier future for us all as part of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy which builds on the government’s long-standing partnership with the UK automotive sector.”
It is estimated that more than 800 ultra-low emission black cabs and more than 3,000 ultra-low emission private hire vehicles will benefit from the new chargepoints, supporting a shift towards cleaner, greener transport.
In another boost for the zero emission vehicle and automotive sector, winners of a £14 million competition to fund hydrogen fuel cell vehicle and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure projects have also been announced.
The innovative technology these vehicles use has long range (300+ miles) and fast refuelling (3-5 minutes) capability. It will support the Industrial Strategy Future of Mobility Grand Challenge to place the UK at the forefront of the design and manufacturing of zero emission vehicles.
Among the projects selected was the Crawley-based Hydrogen Mobility Expansion Project II. Led by Element Energy, ITM Power, Toyota and Hyundai, this will see more than £3 million invested to create a base for 51 cars.