Green gets gold
INNOVATORS IN GREEN TRANSPORT CELEBRATED
THE most innovative solutions to greener transport across a range of sectors were honoured at a new awards ceremony.
The inaugural LowCVP Low Carbon Champions Awards recognise best practice in vehicle manufacturers, fleet operators and developers of products and services that reduce greenhouse gases. The winners were announced at the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) Annual Conference during an Awards Dinner held at Twickenham Stadium. Amongst those on the judging panel was Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation.
Greg Archer, Managing Director of the LowCVP, said: “These Awards define excellence and innovation, identifying the leaders in accelerating the shift to low carbon vehicles and fuels.
“The quality of the entries was exceptional and demonstrates the vibrancy of UK businesses and organisations in striving to create new markets for lower carbon vehicles.”
The winners include Oxford YASA Motors, a spin-out from Oxford University that has developed a high-efficiency, lightweight electric motor for use in electric and hybrid vehicles. The company was only founded in September 2009 but has already achieved sales of more than £200,000.
Dr Tim Woolmer, Chief Technical Officer at Oxford YASA Motors, said: “We are delighted to win this award which will help raise our profile in this exciting market.
“Innovation is the foundation of the company and we believe that our technology will form a key part of exciting new high performance vehicles with low carbon emissions.”
Winner of the Special Award, Ali Clabburn founder car-sharing website liftshare said: “It is such a privilege to do something you love, and something which really makes a difference to society. We put real passion into helping people travel more sustainably, so to be recognised as Low Carbon Champions is the icing on the cake – especially when there are so many organisations doing other great things to help reduce our impact on the environment.”
Ali founded the car-sharing website when he was still a student in 1998. Today, liftshare is the UK’s largest national network of 1,300 car-sharing schemes. More than 375,000 individuals have signed up, sharing about 250,000,000 miles and saving over 80,000 tonnes of CO2 each year.
Following a rigorous judging process, a total of 22 companies and organisations made the shortlist. Now in its seventh year, the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) Annual Conference is the UK’s leading conference on low carbon transport policy and practice.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Winners for the LowCVP Low Carbon Champions Awards 2010:
1. Buses Award
For the company or organisation that has positively influenced the market for low carbon buses through their manufacture, operation or other activity.
Winner: TfL London Bus Services
TfL is implementing a low carbon bus programme to reduce its carbon footprint in line with the Mayor’s Climate Change Action Plan by rapidly introducing fuel efficient, cleaner and quieter hybrid buses in the short and medium term. Long term, TfL’s strategy is to shift to zero emission vehicles, such as hydrogen powered fuel-cell technology.
For further details, contact the TfL press office: 0845 604 4141 [email protected]
What the judges said: “A ground-breaking initiative and key enabler to the commercialisation of low carbon buses nationally.”
Runner-up: Go Ahead London
Commended: Alexander Dennis Ltd (ADL)
2. Fuels Supplier or Retailer Award
The organisation that has done the most to bring forward low carbon sustainable fuel technology or the supply of sustainable low carbon fuels into the market.
Winner: Greenergy International
Greenergy International Ltd. – Driven by the company objective of responsible sourcing, Greenergy has embraced biofuel sustainability with ambition and serious
commitment. By sourcing biofuels with the best sustainability characteristics to supply a third of all biofuels in the UK, the company has delivered sustainable transport fuels to the UK on a very significant scale.
A company spokesman said: “Greenergy is proud to be a winner of the first Low Carbon Champions Awards. The scope and scale of our activities in this sector has required significant commitment right across our business.”
For further information, contact Alex Lewis, Head of Communications:
[email protected]; 020 7404 7700.
Commended: Gasrec
3. Innovation Award
To the SME, start-up, academic or other small organisation or business, that has brought forward the most promising technology for reducing vehicle carbon emissions.
Winner: Oxford YASA Motors
Oxford YASA Motors was founded in September 2009 to commercialise the lightweight, high efficiency YASA electric motor developed in partnership with Delta Motorsport. The YASA motor has demonstrated an outstanding torque-to-weight ratio, offering weight-saving benefits to electric and hybrid vehicles. The company, a spin-out from Oxford University, has already achieved sales of £200,000 of sales and has a strong order book for its direct drive motor.
Dr Tim Woolmer, Chief Technical Officer at Oxford YASA Motors, said: “We are delighted to win this award which will help raise our profile in this exciting market.
“Innovation is the foundation of the company and we believe that our technology will form a key part of exciting new high performance vehicles with low carbon emissions.”
What the judges said: “We were impressed by Oxford Yasa Motors’ early sales and the speed of market introduction. Another company demonstrating that the UK can be a leader in electric vehicles.”
For further details, contact Nick Farrant, Chief Executive: [email protected]; 01235 535513.
Runner-Up: Gordon Murray Design
Commended: Intelligent Energy; Controlled Power Technologies
4. Low Carbon Road Transport Programme Award
For the organisation running or managing the most effective consumer or business-facing programme to stimulate low carbon vehicle or fuels uptake or more efficient fleet management or driving practices. This includes both publicly and privately funded programmes.
Winner: LeasePlan UK
In 2005, LeasePlan became the first major leasing company to launch a low carbon initiative. ‘GreenPlan’ has evolved into a programme enabling organisations to implement sustainable measures to reduce CO2 emissions, achieving TÜV Rheinland accreditation in 2009. Over the last 2 years, GreenPlan has accounted for over 22,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions reduction.
What the judges said: “We were particularly impressed by the high rate of client take up achieved by LeasePlan and its tangible results from doing simple things well.”
For further details, contact 0844 493 5809 or [email protected]
Runner-up: Department for Transport
5. Road Freight Award
For the company or organisation that has most positively influenced the manufacture of low carbon commercial vehicles or operation of a low carbon freight fleet. This may be through bringing innovative technology to market or through its enthusiastic and effective adoption. It encompasses both technology and other techniques leading to lower carbon operation.
Joint Winners: Commercial Group; Iveco
Iveco offers the most extensive range of low carbon commercial vehicles available in Europe. Its natural gas-powered range spans the complete 3.5 to 26 tonne sector and includes the cleanest and greenest heavy truck available in the UK. It also manufactures an innovative electric-powered light commercial range.
For further details, contact James Keeler, Garnett-Keeler Public Relations
[email protected]; (0)20 8647 4467
Commercial Group demonstrates that successful businesses can operationally use low carbon transport to offer better, more efficient and more environmentally responsible services to customers. Through its innovative DRS and sustainable biodiesel used by the entire van fleet, the company has reduced its audited fleet emissions by over 70% since 2006.
For further details, contact 01242 703400
Commended: Smith Electric Vehicles
6. Special Award
For the outstanding individual, NGO, community group or academic organisation that has made the greatest contribution to the achievement of the low carbon road transport agenda.
Winner: Ali Clabburn (founder of liftshare)
Ali Clabburn founded car-sharing website liftshare when he was still a student in 1998. Today, liftshare is the UK’s largest national network of 1,300 car-sharing schemes. More than 375,000 individuals have signed up to liftshare, sharing about 250,000,000 miles and saving over 80,000 tonnes of CO2 each year. A social enterprise, liftshare generates turnover from corporate sales to the public and private sector, meaning it can offer free membership to private individuals.
Ali said: “It is such a privilege to do something you love, and something which really makes a difference to society. We put real passion into helping people travel more sustainably, so to be recognised as Low Carbon Champions is the icing on the cake – especially when there are so many organisations doing other great things to help reduce our impact on the environment.”
What the judges said: “Awarded for the excellence and originality of his organisation’s work in reducing traffic and energy use.”
For further details, contact Cecilia Bromley-Martin, Communications & PR Manager
01953 451166; [email protected]
Runner-up: One North East
Commended: The Green Car Website; Blake Ludwig of We are Futureproof
7. Vehicle Manufacturer or Retailer Communications Award
For the manufacturer or retailer that has done the most in the last year to communicate to consumers the benefits of low carbon choices through advertising, marketing, labelling, sales or other activity that promotes the purchase of low carbon vehicles.
Winner: BMW Group
The BMW Group is committed to dealing with resources in a sustainable and responsible manner. BMW’s Efficient Dynamics technologies already feature in every new BMW and MINI and its benefits are communicated to consumers consistently and concisely.
What the judges said: “BMW’s advertising campaign sets a new benchmark for communicating the message that great cars can also be green, creating new mass market appeal.”
For further details contact Jason Reakes, [email protected]
Runner-up: Mitsubishi Motors
Commended: ThinkGlobal; Vauxhall
Full details for the LowCVP Awards: http://www.lowcvp.org.uk/news/1408/lowcvp-low-carbon-champions-awards-2010-call-for-nominations/
Full details on the LowCVP Annual Conference 2010: http://www.lowcvp.org.uk/events/889/the-lowcvp-annual-conference-14-15-july-2010/
The LowCVP (www.lowcvp.org.uk) was established in 2003 to take a lead in accelerating the shift to low carbon vehicles and fuels in the UK and to help ensure that UK business can benefit from that shift. It is a newly incorporated partnership of approaching 200 organisations from the automotive and fuel industries, the environmental sector, government, academia, road user groups and other organisations with a stake in the low carbon vehicles and fuels agenda.
For further information, please contact:
Neil Wallis, Head of Communications, LowCVP
Phone: 020 3178 7863 Mobile: 07974 255720 email: [email protected]
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