Press Release
The first corporate partnerships for the smart ev market trial are announced today.
First Carbon Neutral Car
DaimlerChrysler UK is working on a plan which means that all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated through the production process and the logistics chain of the smart ev, will be measured, reduced where possible and the remaining unavoidable emissions offset through a mixture of renewable energy, energy efficiency and forestry projects which will save and absorb 1 tonne of CO2 for every tonne the smart ev produces. The offset projects will be located around the world, with one based in France, where the smart ev starts its life, and in the UK, where final assembly is undertaken by technology partner, Zytek Group.
The measurement of the CO2 emissions created by the production and logistics of the smart ev, or its ‘carbon footprint’, will be undertaken prior to the first customer deliveries in November 2006. The CarbonNeutral Company and DaimlerChrysler UK expect the smart ev will be confirmed as the world’s first CarbonNeutral car, as well as being powered by green electricity and having zero emissions.
Cenex
DaimlerChrysler UK has also enlisted the support of Cenex, the UK’s national centre of excellence for low carbon and fuel cell technologies and an initiative funded by the Department of Trade and Industry, as a project partner. Among a raft of commitments to the project, Cenex will allocate direct funding to the UK pilot and help make the market trial more attractive to public and private sector operators.
Robert Evans, CEO of Cenex, said "This is exactly the kind of project that Cenex was formed to support: directly assisting the UK automotive supply chain for electric vehicle technologies. Cenex is looking forward to working with DaimlerChrysler and the many customer fleets interested in operating smart evs, to help validate the proposition that low carbon vehicle technologies can meet or exceed customers’ operational requirements whilst simultaneously delivering big gains in environmental performance."
Knight Frank
A founding client for the smart ev is London based estate agency, Knight Frank, which will be leasing 10 of the iconic cars, powered solely by electricity, later this year.
Knight Frank is based in Central London and the cars will be used by employees in the course of the day to day business.
Dick Ford, Head of London Residential at Knight Frank said: "We are delighted to be involved with this innovative market trial because the benefits to us are significant. Over the contract period, we will reduce our carbon dioxide output by more than 100 tonnes from the first 10 vehicles. That coupled with the fiscal benefits of having electric vehicles on our fleet and the renowned suitability of the smart in London made a sound business case for us."
Lloydspharmacy
Lloydspharmacy is another founding client of the smart ev project. Peter Smerdon, Company Secretary, said: "The smart ev is a particularly graphic way to illustrate our commitment to controlling carbon emissions. The vehicles will be based at our head office and made available to all staff for journeys in and around the Coventry area, including use by our senior team on commutes to the airport. The use of evs will shave around 20 tonnes off our carbon footprint and at the same time we're learning about innovative technology and raising awareness of the impact of car travel on the environment - we're very pleased to be involved."
Refurb-A-Sash
Traditional sash window specialists, Refurb-A-Sash, are replacing their existing smarts with evs as part of their overall environmental policy for the company. Proprietor, Adrian Thompson, commented: "We are making a concerted effort to reduce the impact of our business on the environment. We’ve installed a wood recycler which will be used to heat our building. The electricity we save will power our smart evs, meaning we will be carbon free from well to wheel."
CityCarClub
A further project partner is CityCarClub, who are looking to place smart evs within prestige residential developments in central London.
Dirk van Dijl, Chief Executive of CityCarClub, said: "CityCarClub is extremely keen to be a launch partner for this fantastic product. We have committed that only renewable sources of energy will be used and that we will work with DaimlerChrysler in identifying optimum placements as part of the ev project."
CityCarClub currently operate 200 car club vehicles in 12 cities.
Local Authorities
DaimlerChrysler are also in discussion with several local authorities, including the cities of Middlesbrough and Milton Keynes, who are looking to integrate smart evs as part of their overall carbon management and transport plans.
Dermot Kelly, Managing Director Mercedes Car Group, said: "We have had an excellent response from the companies we’ve presented the ev project to. We’re still interested in hearing from potential project partners who are serious about reducing their impact on the environment and can provide an innovative application for the smart ev and who are prepared to work with us in changing user behaviour where an ev offers a workable solution as part of an overall green travel plan."
