From 6th April 2010, the government has announced electric cars will be exempt from company car tax reducing the car benefit charge to nil for five years.

Electric vans will be spared tax payments of up to £3000, A great reason to invest on the qualifying eL or eLXD.

This promising amendment sees a dramatic fall from the previous 9% band for electric vehicles.

Future Electric car incentives

The decision to lower company car tax arises from a government push to promote the use and the growth of electric vehicles throughout the United Kingdom. As an incentive the government is also pledging to invest more money into the installation of electric vehicle charge points around the country.

Hopefully these new incentives laid down by the government will encourage the movement towards electric vehicles and simultaneously cut down on the high rising CO2 figures.

Alongside the new encouragement for green vehicles the government has also enounced a £30 million budget for green transport. This figure will be shared across numerous projects including opportunities for the public to test drive electric vehicles.

GEM’s have been on tour! With none other than rock legends U2!

Our Bespoke design/build and branding logistic team have been working closely with BlackBerry and events agency NCompass International to produce tailored promotional electric vehicles for the U2 360 tour.

The U2 360 tour is an ongoing worldwide tour to support the bands recent album No Line on the Horizon.

The world famous tour is aptly named the 360 tour due to the 360-degree outdoor stage, and is renowned as the most unique and original concert setting to date with the stage structure setting a world record for being the largest of its kind.

BlackBerry have been supporting this unique event with customized GEM vehicles purposely built to showcase their newest most advanced handsets.

BlackBerry combined 4 x branded eS electric GEM’s, with on board LED lit display units and promotional staff to raise awareness for both their products and latest services at all the tour venues.

Working alongside BlackBerry has been a truely rock ‘n’ roll enjoyable experience for the GEM team and the wonderful feedback we received from NCompass International for our “one stop shop”, providing bespoke design build/branding and logistical support has been just brilliant.

We continue to work with both BlackBerry and NCompass International on numerous promotional projects.

How does an eco-friendly search engine work? We will tell you!

Search engines make millions of pounds every year from sponsored links/ads within search results bought by companies wanting to sell products or services. Companies pay for each click of an ad with the profits going to the search engine companies!

Ecosia works differently! Rather than revenue from adverts going straight to the owners of the search engines, Ecosia donates 80% of revenue to protecting the rain forests.

What people don’t seem to realize and certainly overlook is the immense level of CO2 emissions produced by search engines and their massive server networks.

Every single web search we make has a negative effect on the environment and some researchers believe one single search can produce the same CO2 emissions as a light bulb does in an entire hour.

The average user makes over 1000 searches a year, multiply that by a billion web users and its clear the impact our online activities generate.

According to Ecosia, thier users can save two square meters of rain forest with every search they perform, without spending a penny!

That mean an individual with an average 1000 searches can save 2,000 square meters of rainforest a year! Superb figures!

Watch this great animation to find out more! we like the panda!

Ecosia is supported by Yahoo!, Bing, and the WWF, with WWF using the provided revenue for its rainforest protection programme.

Start saving those rainforests now with Ecosia: The eco-friendly search engine

BAE Systems, the global defense, security and aerospace company having joined NASA in using their own GEM electric car fleet to safely transport guests and VIP’s.

BAE Systems used their new GEM 100% electric car fleet at the 2009 Farnborough Air show, where guests and celebrities were transported around the show and to and from the private helipad. Taking advantage of the 30 mile range on a single charge charge, BAE systems also collected and returned clients and VIP’s to their chosen locations.

The Vehicles included 5 x e4 custom designed cars with promotional poster frames and an eLXD for further exhibition support.

One of the UK’s leading teaching and research establishments, Southampton University have joined the fight against CO2 emissions and are using GEM electrical vehicles across their many Campuses.

Southampton University, home to 22,000 students, and approximately 5,000 staff boasts a global reputation for leading edge research and scolarship in a wide range of subjects including engineering, science, social sciences, health and humanities.

The University of Southampton’s Repairs Service Manager Jason Wyatt says:”These vans will be a huge boost to the effectiveness and quality of the work that our department does around the University”.

”Their small size and quietness means we will be able to transport staff, tools and materials to previously inaccessible areas of the campuses. ”

“This is important as it strengthens our commitment to improve the health and safety of the manual handling of heavy goods.”

“We are also very keen to be as environmentally-friendly as possible and the GEM vans are the perfect solution to achieve this.”

Southampton University are now utalising 2 x eLXD for maintenance of their 7,000+ accommodation units and 1 x eLXD for their recycling team.

Avoiding London Congestion charges is no longer an unrealistic dream. For the eco conscious owners of alternative fuel cars this is now a reality!

All alternative fuel cars, including electric cars, hybrid cars, and LPG converted cars are eligible to receive discounts from all London congestion Charges.
Electric cars, including GEM’s entire electric vehicle range are all 100% exempt from congestion charges, as they are completely powered by stored electricity.

current congestion charge Prices

The current congestion charge for entering a congestion zone is £8 if you pay before midnight or £10 if you pay before midnight the following day.

A frustrating penalty for the occasional visit, but multiple that over a year for daily commuters entering charge zones and you quickly arrive at a yearly charge of over £2000.

Multiply that figure again for commercial companies operating fleets of delivery or goods vehicles and you arrive at a very nasty yearly price tag.

Do you Qualify for Congestion Charge exemption?

Alternative fuel Vehicles
To qualify for a discount your vehicle must not be soley powered by petrol or diesel. Alternative fuels include bi fuel or dual fuel. Your vehicle must also meet strict emissions criteria.
Electrically propelled Vehicle
To qualify for exemption your vehicle must be driven solely by by stored electricity. The vehicle must also be registered with the DVLA as an electric vehicle.

How to Register for Congestion Charge exemption

To qualify for congestion charge exemption and start saving today you will need to register with Transport for London.

For more information and to download an application form please vistit the the Transport for London Website.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/congestioncharging/6733.aspx

eCourier, has become one of Europe’s fastest growing same day logistics company, and is e-lectric! In 2006 they became London’s first carbon neutral same day courier company, and now they’re using GEM zero emission electric vans as part of their fleet.

eCourier are using the Gem elxd, which has been used also used by the aeronautic NASA.

you’ll find it hard to miss the fun-sized vehicles buzzing around central London, blazoned with the distinctive purple and pink branding provided by GEM’s in house branding and logistics team

Nigel Lambe, CEO, says “We aim to achieve ISO 14001, and are on track to reduce our carbon emissions, by consignment, by a whopping 40% by 2009. We’re adding more and more electric vans to the fleet, have a growing army of bicycle couriers, and will continue to test electric options until we have found vehicles that both reduce our carbon footprint, and are commercially practicable in terms of ensuring continuity of service”.

The GEM team would just like to say, ‘great work guys’, its brilliant to see such an aggressive attitude towards reducing carbon footprint and using zero emissions vehicles especially in a business environment, a great inspiration for many organisations.

At Gem we pride ourselves on the superb versatility of our vehicles, we have designed and built numerous custom and bespoke vehicles for our clients but we have also been amazed by some of the personal modifications many people have built.

The flexible GEM chasis supplies a solid foundation and with the ability to add bespoke carbon fibre and Kevlar panels really does provide a vehicle with limitless opportunities.

If you are lucky enough to own a custom built or modified GEM electric vehicle we would like to hear from you and would love to share your story with our community. Please contact us or post your vehicle information on our facebook group

A selection of bespoke GEM’s!

A Bespoke electric vehicle built for a food street vendor, offering on-board refrigeration and stoves.

A modified electric vehicle suitable for off road, the beach and any sand dunes it might encounter.

A custom electric vehicle or a resturant on wheels? both! this zero emissions GEM has been fitted with commercially approved kitchen appliances and meets all safety regulations.

If you are considering a customized or bespoke vehicle and are not sure where to start then please check out our Bespoke design and build services, we consider no challenge too large or too small and have a design team eagerly awaiting your challenge!

Police within the United Kingdom are now using GEM electric vehicles to aid and safely transport their officers and to interact with the local community.

GEM’s light and versatile electric cars are being used by neighbourhood officers for a range of tasks including street briefings, local visits and city patrols. They are the first 100% electric Vans to be used by UK police.

Gem electric cars and vans have been in Carabinieri in Italy and across the United States for several years by police forces in New York, Los Angeles and Miami. We are very proud that their proven reputation and versatility have now led to their adoption by UK police.

Police fleet managers say the GEM’s 50 mile range, quiet operation and large storage space and their friendly, approachable appearance is ideal for officers to navigate through built up city centres and safely patrol local areas.

Community officers outside Brighton Pier in an eco-friendly GEM eLXD.

A WPC proudly stands infront of her zero emmisions electric vehicle in Sussex ]]> http://www.gemelectriccars.co.uk/blog/uk-police-enforce-struggle-against-co2-emissions.php/feed 0 http://www.gemelectriccars.co.uk/blog/vehicle-scrappage-scheme-save-up-to-2000-on-an-electric-vehicle.php http://www.gemelectriccars.co.uk/blog/vehicle-scrappage-scheme-save-up-to-2000-on-an-electric-vehicle.php#comments Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:19:08 +0000 admin http://www.gemelectriccars.co.uk/blog/?p=56

The vehicle discount scheme, popularly known as the vehicle scrapapge scheme is a government supported scheme set up to allow vehicle dealers to offer heavy discounts of up to £2,000 on a new eco-friendly vehicle when scrapping an older less efficient model.

Motor dealers are able to participate by voluntarily signing up for the scheme and will allocate the available discounts themselves.

How to Qualify for Vehicle Scrappage Scheme

To qualify and take advantage of the vehicle scrappage scheme your old and new vehicles must comply with certain regulations:

The old Vehicle must:

• be a small van or car weighing less than 3,500kg
• be registered within the UK before 29th Feb 2000
• be registered with the DVLA or DVA in the buyers name
• have been registered to the buyer for a period of 12 months before ordering
• have a UK address on the registration certificate
• have a valid MOT certificate before ordering for the new vehicle
• have a valid tax disc when ordering
• be insured when the order for the new vehicle is placed

The New Vehicle must:

• be a small van or car weighing less than 3,500kg
• be registered in the UK on or after mid May 2009
• be declared new at first registration in the UK with no former keepers

How to apply for the Vehicle Scrappage Scheme

There is no need to contact or register with the government to take advantage of the scrappage scheme. Your local participating dealer (be sure to confirm) will take responsibility for checking all criteria are met, filling out the necessary paperwork and scrapping your old car. Your discount will be added to and appear on your final invoice when purchasing your new car.

Scrappage Scheme Deadline

The vehicle scrappage scheme is available until March 2010. Although the government have extended the original funding budget by £100 million for the scheme there has been little evidence of the date being extended. Be sure to contact your local motor dealer to find out if you qualify for the discount.