Hybrid vehicles come together

Government reps, policy makers, manufacturers and researchers will come together in Warwickshire today for England's first hybrid vehicle rally.

Researchers at the University of Warwick's Warwick Manufacturing Group, automotive technology company Prodrive and senior figures from Jaguar Land Rover and Advantage West Midlands have been working together to explore the benefits of hybrid technology in which vehicles combine a normal petrol or diesel engine with another form of power such an electric battery or fuel cell.

Warwick Manufacturing Group has become so convinced that the variety and quality of hybrid vehicle technologies on offer are now so strong that today it is holding England's first hybrid vehicle rally and exhibition to let customers, government reps, policy makers, manufacturers and researchers experience the range for themselves.

Environmental concerns and rising fuel costs make this technology of great interest to both the private consumer and the operator of large fleets of vehicles.

Over 150 key decision makers are attending the event at Prodrive's test facility and track at Oldwich Lane East in Fen End, Warwickshire (near Kenilworh) where they will be able to see and test over a dozen hybrid vehicles from cars and buses to vans, taxis and even a scooter.

They will also be able to question around 30 exhibitors working in this field.

The event will see Warwick based company Dennis Eagle announce a multi-million-pound development programme of a hybrid refuse truck assisted by Warwick Manufacturing Group.

Nigel Base, Managing Director - Europe of Kenilworth based Azure Dynamics will outline how the company has developed a hybrid Transit Van with GKN Autostructures, and how that partnership was made through an earlier WMG organised event.

Back to top