WELL, the answer is – I’m likely to find out!
In June I’m off to the rather grandly titled ‘Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum Keynote Seminar’.
So there.
This plans – among other things – to look at the future of clean fuel cars in the UK.
So will I be ditching my diesel powered Audi A3 for – what? A hybrid? An electric vehicle? Something else?
Hybrids and plug-in hybrids will certainly play a part; I’m not convinced by electric cars for most SMEs, though.
But I’m intrigued by some of the adaptations to existing technology that are rather closer at hand.
Ford has already shown what it can do with a small capacity turbo engine – it’s 1.0 litre EcoPower unit in both the Focus and Fiesta. And when the new Mondeo arrives in 2014 it will be in that too. It’s a great unit. I love it.
And the new Audi A3 Sportback promises a bit of tech I can’t wait to try, either: Cylinder on Demand – or CoD. It’s available on the small Audi A1 too.
Essentially it switches between two and four-cylinder modes (in as little as 13 milliseconds) to provide the greatest efficiency, providing over 60mpg in the A1. In a petrol engine. Sounds impressive.
But that’s the here and now. Let’s go back to the future.
What cars will be appearing on your SME company car policy?
Richard Burden MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Motor Group will be chairing such discussions at the Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum.
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Speakers include Richard Bruce, managing director of the Office for Low Emission Vehicles at the Department for Transport and Graham Smith, who is managing director, London Office, at Toyota Motor Europe.
For further details of the event, go here: Westminster Energy, Environment and Transport Forum.
- The UK automotive industry: investment, manufacture and the future of clean fuel.
- On low carbon vehicles, discussion will centre on advances across the various fuels and technologies, and the latest thinking on how to encourage their take up through consumer engagement and Government support, following the Budget’s introduction of a new excise duty band for Ultra Low Emission Vehicles.
- And read Peter Nunn’s blog on a cheap fuel widely used in Europe and presently denied the UK motorist.
