Electric car scheme to improve air quality

An initiative to introduce electric and low-emission cars across the UK is being trialled in the West Midlands in a bid to convince British residents that the green vehicles are a viable mode of transport.

The project, which is costing £15 million, will put 110 vehicles on the roads around Birmingham and Coventry.

Of these, 25 will be Mistubishi i-MiEVs, which are fully electric cars with zero emissions.

Richard Bremmer, editor of Clean Green Cars, said that the scheme is a positive step by the government as it will raise the profile of electric cars.

He added that the initiative will accelerate the introduction of recharging posts around the country and may encourage manufacturers to offer more electric cars to the public.

Mr Bremmer commented: "2010 should see the wider public beginning to think that electric cars really are a practical possibility."

The Coventry and Birmingham Low Emission Vehicle Demonstrators consortium, which is running the pilot scheme, stated that it believes low carbon cars will become commercially viable by 2020.

Posted by Lauren Steadman