Ashwoods Hybrid Transit van has won approval for a major Scottish Government procurement programme.

The Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Support Scheme (LCVPSS) provide £3.6m to public sector fleet operators in Scotland. The fund helps bridge the price gap between a conventional vehicle and its low carbon equivalent. Announced in June, LCVPSS was originally only open to all-electric vehicles, but has now been extended to cover hybrid commercial vehicles, such as the Ashwoods Hybrid Transit.

Mark Roberts, managing director of Ashwoods Automotive, said: “We are delighted and proud to be included in the Low Carbon Procurement Support Scheme.

“This offers public sector fleet managers in Scotland a risk-free opportunity to purchase and assess hybrid vans that are already accepted in England as a proven product.”

Ashwoods Hybrid Drive recovers the kinetic energy usually wasted through braking or deceleration. A lithium-ion battery stores the recovered energy and a high efficiency electric motor delivers it to the wheels. The system reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 15-25%, depending on the drive cycle.

Ashwoods Hybrid Transit never needs plugging into a charging point and drivers don’t have to worry about the battery running flat. The technology reduces wear and tear on the brakes and there is no interference with the vehicle’s structure, so vehicle warranties and residual values remain intact.

Ashwoods is supplying 137 out of 200 of the low carbon vans in LCVPP Phase One, to organisations including the Royal Mail and Environment Agency.