New high performance, zero emission commercial vehicle

from ecoGizmo (201 articles)

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New high performance, zero emission commercial vehicle

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April 24, 2006 The soon-to-debut UK-built Modec van is the first zero emission van that is comparable in economy and performance to diesel equivalents, making it a real and viable urban delivery vehicle. Emmission-free, it covers up to 120 miles on a single charge and reaches a top speed of 50 mph carrying a load of up to two tonnes. And with only three moving parts in the electric motor instead of more than 300 in a typical diesel van engine, there’s less to go wrong. The battery can be recharged overnight at the fleet depot, allowing efficient and effective city delivery without the noise, smell or pollution traditionally associated with transit vans. The Modec van has been designed with large fleets in mind.

Jamie Borwick, Chairman of Modec, said: The Modec van is the first of its kind. It compares well with other vans currently on the market but goes one better because it produces no CO2 emissions.

It is 100% clean in terms of local air quality and is virtually silent, spelling the end to noisy night deliveries in urban areas. It is also exempt from road tax and the London Congestion Charge.

Carbon emissions and climate change are causing growing concern and were confident that the Modec will soon be the van of choice for large fleet operators who are conscious of the cost savings as well as the environmental benefits that using it will deliver.

Cost advantages of running Modec vans include zero road tax, zero operator license and zero congestion charge. Currently 50,000 vans of a similar size enter the congestion charge zone every day and travel approximately 260,000 miles in total within the zone. Using a Modec van would represent considerable savings for fleets that operate within the area as well as positively impacting on the local air quality. In addition, by producing no emissions, the Modec van will meet the criteria for the Low Emission Zone due to be operational in London in 2008.

The core team behind the Modec van was also responsible for developing the iconic TX1 London taxi, which was launched in 1997 and changed the look of the traditional black cab. Modec is now an independent, private equity funded company employing 32 people. It expects to have a workforce of over 100 at its factory in Binley, Coventry, when production gets underway later this year.

The Team

The Modec van started life as the LTI Electric Mercury. Jamie Borwick, former Chairman of Manganese Bronze, purchased the e-Mercury project from LTI (part of Manganese Bronze) during 2004.

Many of the Modec team, including Jamie (Chairman and owner), Jevon Thorpe (CEO), Colin Smith (Engineering Director), David Godfrey (Technical Director), Trevor Power (Business Development Director) and Bill Gillespie (Non Exec Director) were part of the team at LTI who were responsible for developing the iconic TX1 taxi.

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