Environment

A European Commission-backed consortium led by Nissan and also including Renault, BMW, Volkswagen and Electricity Supply Board will establish a rapid charging network for electric vehicles to run the length and breadth of the UK.

Research released today has shown that the automotive industry boasts the most consistently sustainable organisations. Ranked against leading companies already rated in the Dow Jones top 50 businesses for sustainability, automotive companies achieved the highest average score ahead of global brands from the energy utilities, food and beverages, ICT and oil and gas sectors.

Bentley Motors welcomed Greg Barker, Energy and Climate Change Minister, to its headquarters in Crewe to find out more about the installation of over 20,000 solar panels on its factory roof, the biggest installation project of its kind in the UK.

Stephen Hammond MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, used the Conservative Party Conference to set out the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for developing low-carbon technologies within the automotive sector.

Transport Minister, Norman Baker MP, has today launched Driving the Future Today, the strategy to implement £500m funding to support in Ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV), which was announced earlier this year.

Eleven local authorities have been awarded grants from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) £5 million Clean Bus Technology Fund, which was announced earlier in the year.

SMMT’s weekly round-up, including all the latest news from UK automotive.

Government has announced a £5 million initiative, called the Clean Bus Technology Fund, which will allow local authorities across England to upgrade their buses to use greener technologies.

Government has announced £12 million funding for 213 new low carbon buses to cut carbon emissions, encourage economic growth and provide better services for passengers. The move will come as a welcome boost to the UK bus sector where registrations are down almost 30% versus a strong 2012.

Interbrand’s Best Global Green Brands 2012 Report ranks eight automotive companies in the top 25 with Toyota leading the field, joined by a further three automotive manufacturers in the top 10.