SEEDA And Milton Keynes Together Drive The Green Economy Forward
4 June 2010Milton Keynes’ ambition to place 1,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2014 has accelerated with a £500k grant from the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).
The funding is in addition to the £2.3m ‘Plugged in Places’ government funding already available for 250 electric vehicle charging posts, and will contribute towards Milton Keynes’ development of its low carbon strategy.
SEEDA funding runs from 2010 until 2012 and will link two neighbouring South East growth hubs together, extending the economic and sustainability impact to Aylesbury, Bicester and Oxford. This will enable two of the South East’s key cities, Milton Keynes and Oxford, to work together to deliver a comprehensive network of charging posts and increase demand for electric vehicles over a wide geographical area.
The initiative is expected to generate £2.4m of private sector investment, significantly reduce carbon emissions and create demand for an additional 415 cars by 2012. Private sector partners for the initiative currently include Mercedes and Nissan Technical Centre.
Oona Muirhead, Group Executive Director Strategy & Support at SEEDA, comments: “This is a really exciting opportunity for Milton Keynes and the surrounding counties to grab sustainable transport by the horns and ensure that the South East retains its position as a globally competitive region. SEEDA’s ability to harness the knowledge and experience of partnering organisations has underpinned, which will leave a lasting legacy for a number of counties involved in the project.
“The initiative will provide added confidence to the electric cars market, support the South East’s supply chain and contribute to the development of a long-term sustainable transport infrastructure. It’s a huge step forward that will help pave the way for a sustainable future for generations to come.”
The project is expected to attract inward further investment from the private and public sectors and provide a catalyst for the development of new related products and services.
David Hill, Chief Executive at Milton Keynes Council, adds: “Milton Keynes has always been a pioneer for green technologies and initiatives and we are proud to give local people the opportunity to be at the forefront of electric vehicle use. We are ambitious and want to be an exemplar of low carbon living nationally and internationally. SEEDA’s support will help us take another positive step as a showcase low carbon city.”
Research undertaken in 2009 projected that 19,000 electric vehicles will be in use by 2012 and 116,000 by 2015. Whilst there is growing demand for electric cars, distance capability remains a key concern. SEEDA funding will help to establish where charging posts should be located in order to generate maximum impact and ensure that electric vehicles are a viable option for drivers.
For more information on SEEDA please visit www.seeda.co.uk.
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