Warwick has been chosen as one of only two UK H.E. institutions to participate in the Department for Transport’s Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Programme (LCVPP).

The £20 million programme is aimed at supporting the demonstration and use of lower carbon (more fuel efficient) vehicles in the public sector. It was announced by the Government in October last year as one of a number of initiatives to encourage the mass production of green vans for the first time.

The programme, which is managed by Cenex, is initially focussed on vans and will provide grants for selected participants to purchase or lease low carbon vehicles or all-electric vehicles for their fleets.

Ten companies have been short-listed to bid to supply both lower carbon and all-electric vans to the public sector. Following a strict procurement programme, participants are expected to begin ordering low carbon or all-electric vehicles for their fleets from May 2009.

Initially six public sector organisations were selected to participate in the first phase of the programme which included: Royal Mail; H M Revenue & Customs; Metropolitan Police; Transport for London; Environment Agency; Government Car and Despatch Agency.

The programme was then extended to all UK local authorities who were invited to submit bids to participate in the first phase. Coventry City Council together with University of Warwick and Coventry University formed a consortium called the Coventry Low Carbon Fleet Partnership and submitted a joint bid which, following a UK-wide competitive process, was successful.

The full list of participants who will be the first to trial green vans in the UK include: Royal Mail; H M Revenue & Customs; Metropolitan Police; Transport for London; Environment Agency; Government Car and Despatch Agency and councils from Liverpool, Newcastle, Gateshead, Glasgow, Leeds and the Coventry Low Carbon Fleet Partnership of Coventry City Council, University of Warwick and Coventry University.