Ford has announced details of some very large fleets who have agreed to take part this autumn in a major trial of plug-in hybrid Transit vans in London, which could contribute to a major long-term reduction in harmful vehicle emissions.
As well as Transport for London, the UK capital's municipal transport authority which is supporting the trial, other fleets confirmed as taking part now include the Metropolitan Police, Clancy Plant, Addison Lee and British Gas.
Urban conditions are without a doubt the toughest working environment for commercial vehicles, and this multi-million-pound project is designed to explore how lower-emission plug-in hybrid electric vans can help London achieve air targets, while at the same time boosting productivity for vehicle operators.
The trial will last for 12 months and will see a fleet of 20 Ford Transit PHEVs operating on electricity only for the majority of inner-city journeys. The Transits will also be equipped with range extenders, so battery range won't be an issue for them for the longer journeys vehicles operated by businesses and emergency services inevitably have to carry out.Also Read: Ford Figo S First Drive Review: The Reason Not To Buy The Baleno RS
Each one of these Transit plug-in hybrids will be fitted out with Ford telematics systems for the gathering of crucial data on operational and environmental performance across these varied applications.
The Metropolitan Police will operate two of the Transit PHEVs; one as a secondary response to traffic accidents and the other one as an un-marked forensic support unit. For their part, Transport for London will run three vans for freight-carrying duties.
This multi-million-pound project that will commence in the autumn, supported by Transport for London and the UK Government-funded Advanced Propulsion Centre, is sure to be closely watched by other major cities in Europe and beyond.
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