LPG Vans and Hybrid Vehicles

 Ashwoods is celebrating after coming runner up at SMMT’s second annual award designed to showcase the importance of R&D and the role the UK plays in developing global automotive products, beating off stiff competition from companies across the car, commercial vehicle and supply chain sectors.

 Ralph Hosier, SMMT judge , engineer and motoring journalist  commenting on the shortlist of six said, “The level of detail people had to go into to make their systems work was very impressive. Because they couldn’t find anything off the shelf that would actually work for them they created something that would.  The ingenuity in the detail was quite amazing”.

 The award, sponsored by GKN Driveline, was presented to JLR’s Chief Engineer, Hybrids, Peter Richings at SMMT’s Annual Dinner by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Norman Baker and Rob Rickell, Global Engineering Director, GKN. 

 Commenting on the announcement, Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive and chair of the five-strong judging panel said, “The awards clearly demonstrates industry’s commitment to lowering vehicle emissions and creating exciting products for demanding consumers. They champion industry innovation – promoting cutting-edge automotive engineering and design that the UK is famed for around the world.”

 Sponsor of this year’s Award, GKN Driveline’s Engineering Director, Rob Rickell said, “GKN Driveline is once again proud to sponsor the award. As a UK company, we recognise that research and development of technology will result in innovative solutions satisfying our society’s demanding and ever evolving needs. By doing this successfully, we and others will have a positive impact on the environment, the communities and the economies in which we all operate. The finalists tonight demonstrate fine examples of developments that embody that spirit.”

 On presenting the Award, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Norman Baker, spoke about the importance of recognising innovation within the UK’s automotive sector, adding that a collaborative approach across the commercial, business and government sectors was essential in encouraging new technologies and products to market. 

 This year’s Award was judged by a panel of senior industry figures, including Dave Salt, Chief Engineer, GKN Driveline, Ralph Hosier, Engineer and Motoring Journalist and Jon Beasley, Group Technology Officer, GKN.

Ashwoods Hybrid Drive Sytem won the Innovation catagory at the first Western Morning News Business Awards. The prize was one of 14 handed out at an event at St Mellion International which celebrated the best businesses in the Westcountry.

WMN editor Alan Qualtrough said, “The aim of our awards was to celebrate the Westcountry’s business talent and innovation and all the winners should feel very proud of their achievements.”

Ashwoods Head of Marketing Victoria Davison said, “We are delighted to have been recognised for our innovation and as an Exeter based business be among the growing business community demonstrating excellence in the South West”.

Main sponsor was South West Water with Coutts, Viridor, Plymouth University, Brewin Dolphin, Gregory Distribution, Foot Anstey, KPMG, Bond Pearce, RBS and First Great Western.

The 11th Michelin Challenge Bibendum, which took place in Berlin, has proved the most popular to date with a record breaking 16,000 plus people attending the five-day event.

Organised by Michelin, this global ‘rally for sustainable mobility’ saw Berlin’s Templehof airport transformed into an exhibition centre, round-table conference rooms and test tracks to highlight the latest sustainable transport innovations and technologies. UK companies leading the way in innovative engine development and vehicle design were to the fore at Challenge Bibendum, with five Shell Springboard Award winning firms forming a UK Eco-Innovation Zone in the exhibition hall. Among them was Exeter-based Ashwoods, a hybrid and low carbon vehicle company whose hybrid van helped them claim a Challenge Bibendum Design Recognition Award – the only UK company to receive such an accolade at this year’s event.
Mark Roberts, Managing Director of Ashwoods Automotive, said: “We are extremely proud to be the only British company honoured in these awards. This further underlines the financial and environmental benefits that our fuel-saving technology is delivering across the UK today.”

On the first day, a parade of all the participating vehicles in front of the Brandenburg Gate was one of the highlights of this year’s event. This was in addition to the traditional series of rallies – the Intercity Passenger Car Rally, the Urban Vehicle Rally and the Battery Electric Rally – which are designed to test vehicles on various performance criteria including energy consumption, manoeuvrability and noise levels.

Indoors, 72 exhibitors displayed cutting-edge products and innovations in the Technological Exhibition Centre and conference rooms hosted 50 events including forums, round-tables and workshops, and first-time features such as the Leaders’ Forum. There was also a UK Eco-Innovation Zone, which showcased some of the best in British vehicle and engine design and manufacturing.

During the five days of Challenge Bibendum, over 16,000 people visited the event with 10,000 members of the public attending the first ever open day on the Sunday. One thousand students from all across Europe attended the Student Day – another first at this year’s event.

Eric Le Corre, Michelin UK’s Managing Director, said: “It gave me great pleasure to see such a strong UK presence at this year’s Challenge Bibendum, the biggest and best attended event to date. We had UK representatives from industry, public affairs, the press and universities; all of whom were extremely impressed with the exhibitions, debates, vehicles and the many new innovations on show.”

Innovation and technological advancement are key themes for every Challenge Bibendum event and 2011 was no exception as Michelin showcased some of its latest developments. These included a puncture-proof concept tyre which uses an inner material that distorts and stretches around the penetrating object preventing air-loss – an innovation which could make punctures a thing of the past.

Other concepts were small tyres for electric urban vehicles, large narrow tyres for improved aerodynamics and rolling resistance, and a high capacity truck tyre making twin-axle trailers a possibility in place of the three-axles currently used.

Michelin’s Active Wheel technology was also on display. Integrating all of an electric vehicle’s drive, suspension and braking components into the wheel itself, the Active Wheel offers the prospect of excellent handling, driving comfort and efficiency.
Out on the test tracks, 280 vehicles – including everything from a fuel-cell powered London black cab to the latest electric Formula One-style car – took to the tarmac, providing visitors with a first-hand vision of the green, clean motoring opportunities of the future.

North Ayrshire Council has continued to show its commitment to the environment by purchasing a fleet of seven Ashwoods Hybrid Transit Vans, making it the proud owner of the largest hybrid van fleet in Scotland.
The Council has purchased the award-winning Hybrid Transit vans from Ashwoods Automotive. The vans are standard Ford Transits with all the normal features, but are fitted with an innovative hybrid drive system. They will replace a fleet of diesel-powered vehicles used by the Council’s Building Services.

At a time of increasing awareness of environmental issues – and fuel costs – the hybrid vans deliver fuel consumption reductions of up to 20 percent, saving around £700 a year per vehicle and reducing carbon emissions.
Councillor Tom Barr, portfolio holder for the environment, said: “The purchase of this fleet of hybrid vans once again shows the Council’s commitment to energy efficiency.

“It is important to remember that the benefits of energy efficiency are twofold. Not only do we ensure that we are doing our best to save the environment from the effects of carbon emissions – we are saving money while doing so. This is especially important at a time when finances are tight.

“Should the new eco vans prove a success, they could be extended across the Council’s transport fleet.”

The Ashwoods Hybrid Drive system recovers energy normally lost during braking and deceleration. A battery stores the energy before an electric motor redirects it to the rear wheels – making the vans extremely efficient. Because the hybrid system is entirely self-powered, the vans never need to be plugged in for a battery charge. And unlike pure electric vehicles, hybrids are not restricted to low mileage duties.

North Ayrshire’s seven hybrids are part funded by Transport Scotland’s Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Support Scheme (LCVPSS), which enables public sector bodies to purchase electric and hybrid vehicles for extensive operational trials.

Ashwoods Hybrid Transits are also used by the Royal Mail, Transport for London and the Environment Agency.

Mark Roberts, Managing Director of Ashwoods Automotive, said: “Forward-thinking councils like North Ayrshire are demonstrating that low carbon vehicles don’t have to cost the earth. Working with Ashwoods, it is possible to reduce emissions from road transport and cut fuel bills at the same time.”

Ashwoods has made it into the Top 25 of the fastest growing Cleantech Companies in Europe. Ashwoods was ranked No. 1 in this prestigious green technology growth chart. Ashwoods is the UK’s largest supplier of Hybrid Commercial Vehicles and Low Emission Technology

Mark Roberts, Ashwoods MD said ” We are thrilled to have made the Cleantech Connect Top 25 and then to go on and be ranked No. 1. , Ashwoods inclusion in this well respected list of European Greentech businesses is down to the rapid growth the business has experienced over the past 2 years from our sale of our low emission products”.

You can read more about Cleantech Connect and Ashwoods Automotive being ranked No. 1 by clicking here.

Ashwoods Automotive this afternoon was shortlisted for the Energy Saving Trust Fleet Hero Awards 2010 for Innovation in Car & Van Manufacture. The UK’s largest supplier and manufacturer of low emission technology for Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV’s) has already been announced as the Fastest Growing Cleantech Company in Europe this year. Mark Roberts, CEO of Ashwoods has said “It is great to be nominated in such a competitive catergory with Citroen and Volkswagen, we look forward to the winners being announced in February”.

LPG has long been the standard requirement for Light Commercial Vehicles operating in London. Based around a Petrol vehicle the benefits of a LPG are that it is less than half the price of diesel, which provides a saving of up to 40% and exemption from the congestion charge which can equate to over £2000 per vehicle per year.

It has become apparent over the last 12 months that the interest in Hybrid technology is increasing, these system’s can be retro fitted to a large number of Manufacturers Light Commercial Vehicle’s and are helping to significantly reduce Carbon Emissions.