April 7, 2011

Filed under: Green Cars — Tags: London, Low emission, Pollution, van scrappage scheme — admin @ 10:22 am

As is currently stands; Greater London is a Low Emission Zone; meaning that heavy diesel vehicles that tend to cause a lot of pollution in the atmosphere must meet a minimum emissions standard to drive around in London.

If however the vehicles do not meet the criteria, it can still travel through London but with the requirement of a daily charge. There are also other ways of making sure it does, for example, fitting an approved exhaust pipe or simply upgrading their vehicle.

The Low Emissions Zone (LEZ) was reinforced in 2008 in an attempt to clean up the air quality and make London a less polluted place to live for not only us but the generations to come. It currently applies to buses and coaches over 5 tonnes and lorries over 3.5 tonnes.

From 3rd January 2012, not only will tighter restrictions will be reinforced on the buses and lorries, but as well as this the London Emissions Zone will also affect minibuses, larger vans, motor caravan and other specialist vehicles. Cars and motorcycles are not set to be affected, but only time will tell. Furthermore, it has been proposed that in 2015 the current standards will tighten again to include oxides of nitrogen for buses, lorries and coaches.

You can pay the daily charge anywhere between 64 working days prior to travelling and midnight on the day of travelling and you can make your payment by phone, post or online. If you fail to pay within this time bracket, you could be faced with a penalty charge of up to £1000, or £500 if paid within 14 days of receiving it.

Fortunately the Mayor Boris Johnson has launched a van scrappage scheme securing discounts for drivers that will be affected by the changes in 2012, such as new vans and minibuses. So if you drive an existing van, it may be in your interest to invest in an upgrade or a new cleaner van model sooner rather than later.

If you are interested in purchasing a new van under the van scrappage scheme Auto eBid will be able to obtain you the best offers in the UK in addition to the van scrappage scheme discounts organised through TFL.

Under the TFL scheme discounts have been organised for a limited number of manufacturers including Citroen, Ford, Mercedes, Peugeot and VW however if you are looking to purchase a new van from any other manufacturer simply visit http://www.autoebid.com/buy-new-vans.asp

June 9, 2010

Filed under: Green Cars,Industry News — Tags: 2012, Hydrogen, London, olympics, powered, Taxi — admin @ 2:01 pm

With the average London cabby racking 35,000 miles in our cities they account for a fifth of the particulate emission from ground-bssed public transport.

And pressure to make the black cab the greenest taxi in world may have become a possibility with the revealling of a hydrogen-powered taxi.

Based on the familiar LTI TX4, the new fuel cell taxi ditches the smelly diesel engine and replaces it with an electric motor, powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and meaning the only emissions it makes are water vapour.

Developed by a conglomerate of LTI, fuel cell specialists Intelligent Energy, Lotus and others, the fuel cell taxi has a range of 250 miles and accelerates faster than the conventional TX4 while demanding no compromises in carrying capacity.

Unveiling the prototype cab outside London’s city hall, London’s deputy mayor Kit Malthouse praised the ingenuity of the cab’s development team, saying it answered those who thought the only answer to our eco woes is “eating lentils and padding about in sandals.”

January 25, 2010

Filed under: Industry News — Tags: Dufort London Taxis, Jacek Kurowski, London, Matthew Cheyne, Motortest, Taxi, The London Taxi Company, Warsaw — admin @ 11:50 am

Warsaw will play host to the London Taxi which is being promoted by a local Polish company called Dufort London Taxis, is to get its first public unveiling in the capital city, Warsaw on 26 January.

The event is to be held at Motortest, an established car dealership and vehicle repair workshop centre, situated in close proximity to Warsaw’s airport starting at 5pm.

This is the first European launch of the year for the London Taxi and its new international sales brand The London Taxi Company.

Matthew Cheyne, international market development director for The London Taxi Company, said: “When we began selling the taxi internationally from our new production plant in China, we wanted a new brand for LTI that made it obvious who we are and what we do.

“We have been building the taxi in the UK for over 60 years now and no one knows more about taxis than we do. Producing in China gives us a more global appeal now so we aim to see the London Taxi on sale all over the world.

“Poland is the first European Capital city to launch the London Taxi in 2010 and we are sure it won’t be the last. In 2009, we sold vehicles in Germany Spain, Austria, Serbia and Kosovo.”

Jacek Kurowski, the official representative for the London Taxi manufacturer in Poland, said: “Many people are looking forward to seeing the vehicle here in Poland. It will initially be run by a leading local taxi company called Wawa, who will operate it as a premium service taxi.

“The London Taxi is more than just the greatest taxi in the world, it is also part of the greatest taxi service in the world and that is what we are planning to bring to Poland.”

Jacek has worked hard with The London taxi Company to bring the taxi to Poland.

“People deserve a choice other than the local cheap mini–cab style taxis and expensive limousines.

“Now they can have that choice with the London Taxi and a world class professional taxi service. They get a fantastic unique vehicle, a great service, professional drivers and their own private space in the cab. What more could people want?”

Jacek aims to sell more taxis onto the streets of Poland, in every city, welcoming international business and leisure travellers.