Gnewt Cargo Commercial Electric Vehicle Trial

This submission sets out Gnewt’s Stream 1 proposal in partnership with the GLA. The trial will run from April 2017 to 2019. Gnewt proposes to lease 19 Voltia & BD-OTO, N1 & N2 vehicles for last-mile logistics that are potentially far better suited for urban deliveries. This project is a first of its kind deployment of innovative larger zero emission vans in London which will actively disrupt existing diesel fuelled vehicle technology and create a legacy for the future. The trial directly delivers the LoCITY & Mayor’s programmes to improve air quality. Our proposal is essential, as existing barriers won’t change while cost, data gaps, limited vehicle options and unproven claims remain. Proving the viability of these innovative vehicles in a commercial setting will allow OLEV, GLA & LoCity to collate robust whole life costs, mileage, efficiency & energy data which plugs the current data gap in policy making. Whilst leasing and operational costs are high versus diesel, demonstrating that these vehicles can successfully overcome current electric vehicle limitations will help increase demand and manufacturing supply, thus driving down costs. This type of data is essential for assessing the potential for city-wide scale up in London & other leading big cities. Data from the trial will help policy makers lobby government and other EU or international funders to secure further funding for electric vehicles and charging.