News
14 July 2009
Low carbon vehicle trial charges ahead
Householders across Oxfordshire will soon get the chance to find out just what it's like to own an electric car thanks to an exciting project run by BMW and Oxford Brookes University.
The project represents a hugely exciting moment for the fledgling UK electric car industry as. for the first time, company bosses and academics will discover exactly how a large number of zero-emission vehicles cope with the demands of day-to-day driving.
Centred around Oxford, the project will look at the way 80 volunteers drive their electric MINIs in two back-to-back 6 month trials. Other MINI E field trials are also taking place in North America and Germany.
Engineers, mathematicians, statisticians and psychologists from the University will collect and analyse all the technical data and subjective driver feedback. They will study the fleet of electric MINIs across their disciplines from both a technical and lifestyle standpoint. Experts from the Sustainable Vehicle Engineering Centre (SVEC) will also be forecasting the business models and market for electric cars across Europe.
For the latest news on the Oxfordshire MINI E trial, visit www.mini.co.uk and register for periodic updates.
SVEC's industry network, DRIVENet, is hosting a two-day Whole LIfe Vehicle Conference at Turweston Aerodrome, Silverstone from 18-19 November 2009 at which there will be the opportunity to test drive the latest electric and low carbon vehicles. Register for the conference at www.drivenet.org.uk or email drivenet@brookes.ac.uk. The Sustainable Vehicle Engineering Centre can be contacted at svec@brookes.ac.uk.