A network of 14 electric vehicle rapid charge points will form a Milton Keynes CrossLink, allowing motorists to connect to a number of high performance power sources on a route which covers Cambridge, Bedford, Milton Keynes, Cheltenham, Oxford and Buckingham. Using rapid charger technology from Chargemaster, some of the first to be used in the UK, they will allow drivers to charge their cars in around 20 minutes, much faster than existing technology while working successfully with all the latest electric vehicles. The project has been funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), using Government money to support the ever-growing ultra-low carbon vehicle industry. Transport Minister Baroness Kramer said: "These charge points are the first of their kind in England, able to rapidly recharge a wide range of plug-in vehicles. "The Government is committed to making the UK a leading market for ultra-low emission vehicles and putting in place versatile and accessible infrastructure like this is an important part of making this happen." The Milton Keynes Crosslink is one of the first to receive funding from OLEV, with their local council keen to make the city centre low-carbon and emission free. By 2020 it is hoped that 1 in ten new vehicle sales will be electric, allowing British drivers to make significant improvements to our air pollution and carbon reduction targets. Councillor Keith McLean, Milton Keynes Council Cabinet member for Transport said: "This is excellent news for local electric vehicle drivers and is another vital step to lowering our collective carbon footprint in line with the Council's low carbon strategy. "The fact that Chargemaster will be fully responsible for extending the network each year and for all the operating costs of the units, rather than the council, means that we can make valuable savings to the council budget. The city will get all the benefits of having a comprehensive network of charging points". In the Netherlands, Taxi Electric has launched to become the first taxi company to use an entire fleet of electric vehicles, providing a zero-emission fleet. Based in Amsterdam, they operate a fleet of 25 Nissan LEAF vehicles: Andy Palmer, European viceæpresident ofæNissan, said: "Taxi Electric was one of the first electric taxi companies in the world, and I've been impressed with their progress since their launch two years ago. They were the first to prove that zero-emission taxis - in the form of Nissan LEAFs - are a viable alternative. "They have covered an astonishing distance in their fleet in such a short time and have shown just how reliable our electric technology is in a demanding environment. Their pioneering spirit closely matches ours and we are certain they will continue their success with the ground-breaking Nissan e-NV200."
