ELECTRIC car news reports often contain reference to trials, incentives or other such, in association with CENEX.

This appears to be some sort of mysterious body facilitating the genesis of all these EVs – or, if nothing else, finding bags of cash for said genesis.

So, just what is it? The National Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon Vehicles, which is based in Coventry and Loughborough.

Yup, OK. Again… what is it?

An industry-led government PPP initiative, that’s what. Check that: in this context, it’s actually a ‘delivery agency’, no less, supported by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

If (like I was) you are still no clearer, let me (try) and explain. It’s basically a PR agency. Running since 2005, its aim is to promote UK market development, in low-CO2 and fuel cell tech in transport.

Set up at the behest of automotive industry chiefs, amongst others, it’s helping give the fledgling green car industry a leg-up.

It works in association with bodies such as Regional Development Agencies – One North East is one; Advantage West Midlands is another. CENEX brings together sellers of green tech with the public sector sorts who might buy it, through a kind of match-making speed-dating operation.

Remember, those in the public sector may not necessarily be at all bothered about cars and their tech. They won’t necessarily have fleet sector-type initiatives that private corporates run, either. So, here is a Government alternative, with the happy bonus of increasing public EV awareness, too.

Today, the green car industry is fledgling, and thus massively fragmented. What it needs is a centralised body to help coordinate things and pump out messages of unified strength. CENEX is that body.

CENEX runs two key schemes.

Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Programme
Funded by the DfT to the tune of £20m, this is aimed at getting green vans and cars into the public sector for trials. Councils will take on the cars and run them for a set period, throwing them at the mercy of workers.

Quantitative and qualitative findings will be fed back to CENEX via the councils, to see what the reality of fleet EV use is.

If you’re wondering why there’s a load of fuss about it at the moment, it’s because CENEX has timetabled March-June 2010 for delivery of the electric cars.

Oddly, it’s vans that are forming the core of the trials. That’s because there are more electric vans listed on the programme list. The only cars are the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid.

Low Carbon Knowledge Transfer Network
Funded by the Technology Strategy Board, this is a kind of low carbon car enthusiast’s club for businesses. It is a single ‘network’ for all with a business interest in low CO2 cars (such as EVs) to collaborate via, decide on Best Practice and share knowledge.

It includes universities, business suppliers, business customers, research and technology organisations and the finance community.

The KTP brings this lot together via a (private) web portal and various networking events. LCV 2010 is one such example. It’s being held at Millbrook in Bedfordshire, as effectively the CENEX ‘motorshow’. There’s also been the Green Vehicle Congress, and loads of other under-the-radar things.

CENEX sounds a load of old Quango-doctery, but it’s actually doing a pretty good job. Press release after press release encouraged by it is getting the EV message out there, and slowly, word is starting to get out there.

I’m plugging into the CENEX chaps right now, to see what else they have to say. Come back for more soon, I hope, on what they have in store next to help drive EVs…

+ What do you think about initiatives such as CENEX?
+ Are you seeing a benefit from the body?
+ Are you actually now any clearer as to what CENEX is?