Nottingham City Council has been invited to bid for a share of the government’s multi-million pound fund to boost the use of electric vehicles.
The city is one of 12 authorities asked to put forward a detailed bid for a share of the Go Ultra Low fund, which will be used to create centres of excellence for low emission vehicles.
A decision on funding is set to be made in autumn and it is expected that up to four cities will share the kitty.
Nottingham’s bid includes the introduction of a city centre low emission zone supported by a network of electric vehicle charging points.
Packages
Incentives would also be available for businesses to encourage them to use electric vehicles through special events, advice and grants.
There would also be an equivalent package for residents with various discounts and access to electric cars.
Councillor Jane Urquhart, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning at Nottingham City Council, is hopeful that the city can grasp the opportunity to develop its electric vehicle vision.
She says:
Making the city centre a low emission zone would improve air quality and make the environment there much better.
“The introduction of electric City Cycles and Car Club vehicles will give people access to low emission vehicles and we propose to develop a demonstration site so that residents and businesses can see that switching to low carbon transport is easier than they might think. ”
The City Council also intends to work alongside local energy suppliers to see how locally generated power can be utilised to run electric vehicles.
Successful funding could further maximise Nottingham’s vision of an ‘Electric City’ – Nottingham already boasts Europe’s largest electric bus fleet.
