The LCVPPP, which ran from 2008 to 2013, is one of the largest trials of electric and hybrid commercial vehicles carried out in the UK to date.

The central feature of the LCVPPP was a vehicle procurement exercise encouraging the deployment of low carbon vans across public sector fleets. The Programme was designed to use Innovation Oriented Procurement to help push innovative technology into the marketplace.

Funded by the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and managed by Cenex, LCVPPP placed 700 hybrid and electric panel vans from four different manufacturers within 77 public sector fleets.

Only the Ashwood Hybrid van conversion met the price and performance criteria for inclusion in the second phase of the project triggering procurement of a further 500 vehicles. The data presented in these reports shows how the phase 1 Ashwoods vehicles travelled a total distance of 3,650,000km, completed 7,000+ refuelling events and fuelled with 92,000 gallons of diesel.

Overall, laboratory testing showed the hybrid vehicles achieved a 15% CO2 saving compared with a comparator diesel vehicles.

Chris Walsh, head of technical support and consultancy at Cenex said, “The LCVPPP, managed by Cenex, has demonstrated that Innovation Orientated Procurement can be successfully used to bring new low carbon vehicles to the market, at a scale that makes real impact. The programme has validated these vehicles in real world conditions, and offers evidence of learning, of cost reduction and of market growth in the use of low carbon vehicle technologies for public sector fleets across the UK.”