Department for Transport announces £7 Million funding to convert nearly 500 Buses in England to Green Technology.

Upgraded buses will complete more than a million greener journeys a year helping improve air quality

Nearly 450 buses in England will be fitted with green technology to cut harmful emissions by up to 90%, after the successful bids for around £7 million of Department for Transport (DfT) funding were announced today.

The Clean Bus Technology Fund 2015 is being awarded to 18 local authorities across England to retrofit 439 buses with technology to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions in pollution hotspots. Due to their high mileage and long operational life, introducing greener buses can significantly help air quality in town and city centres. The buses upgraded from this fund will complete more than a million journeys a year.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said:

“Greener buses mean cleaner town and city centres and a healthier environment for everyone. The upgraded buses that will soon hit the roads in England continue our commitment to better air quality by investing in greener transport. By targeting pollution hotspots and backing the low-emission technology of the future, we are making the right long-term decisions to improve people’s lives.”

To win awards, local authorities had to show evidence that the technology would reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by at least 50%. The buses will be fitted with exhaust gas treatment systems called selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and will be back on the roads after their upgrade. As part of the award, councils must continue to monitor the schemes and provide evidence of their effectiveness.

This new fund adds to the £20 million invested by the government in retrofit schemes and is in addition to significant match funding by local authorities and support from bus operators to improve air quality since 2011. This has ensured over 2,000 buses have already been upgraded across England to cut emissions.

The Clean Bus Technology Fund is a core part of the government’s commitment to green transport which has seen £2 billion worth of measures introduced since 2011. Upgrading existing transport is in addition to the government’s £600 million investment in low-emission technology over the next five years, which aims to help make almost every car and van zero emission by 2050.

The German brand, Borgward is making a comeback, hopefully with some style and charisma like the originals.

• The legendary German car brand Borgward returns to the international automotive industry
• The company’s exciting plans for the future will be announced at the 85thInternational Motorshow in Geneva
• For Christian Borgward, grandson of founder Carl F.W. Borgward, it is a childhood dream come true
• The Borgward press conference will take place on 3rd March 2015, 13.00 CET in hall 2, booth 2051
• A short film has been produced by Borgward to commemorate its heritage and is now available to view at www.borgward.com

---

Borgward, one of the most innovative brands in car history, returns to the circle of internationally renowned car manufacturers after more than 50 years. On 3rd March 2015, the company will announce its exciting plans for the future and present its new business model to global media at the 85th Geneva International Motor Show.

There was even talk of utilising the BMC 1800

as a badge engineered Borgward in the 1960's

From  1919  to  1961, the  Borgward  Group wrote  automotive  history. As  one  of  Germany’s largest and most successful car manufacturers of its time, Borgward created some of the most iconic cars  of the early 20th century as  well as a large  range of commercial  vehicles,  trucks, buses, fire engines, boats, electric cars, sports cars and even helicopters. 

Innovation and bold ideas were always at the heart of the Bremen based company steered by the visionary entrepreneur Carl F.W. Borgward who continuously pioneered technical novelties that set new standards in the industry. 

The 1949 Borgward Hansa 1500 was the first German sedan with an aerodynamic pontoon body, the precursor of modern automotive styling. The Borgward Isabella TS of 1955 was the first road car combining the comfort of a family limousine with the agility and performance of a sports car. The Borgward P100 of 1959 was the first German passenger car featuring a revolutionary self-leveling air suspension. 

From 1950 to 1958 Borgward was also active in international motorsport. With the Borgward Hansa 1500 the team successfully competed in various racing series such as the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans, 1,000km of Nurburgring, Carrera Panamericana and the race of Montlhéry were it broke 12 records overall.

Thirty years of innovative design, a production of more than one million vehicles retailed worldwide combined with the success of such automotive icons as the famous Isabella have driven Christian Borgward, grandson of Carl F.W. Borgward and President of Borgward AG, to plan the revival of the legendary brand. “Relaunching Borgward is a childhood dream come true for me”, says Borgward, inspired by the unique heritage of his grandfather’s legacy. 

Together with his partner Karlheinz L. Knöss and a team of highly skilled experts all over the world, Borgward has been working over a decade on the rebirth of the brand and his vision of turning it into a modern, profitable and world-class global car company again. 

“We began shaping and designing the future of Borgward nearly ten years ago and are now ready for the next step. Incorporating the values and cutting-edge technologies that Borgward stood for, combined with our ambition, drive and commitment to succeed, I believe we are now perfectly placed to open up this new chapter in Borgward’s history”, says Knöss. “Geneva is an important step into our promising future and we cannot wait to be back there”.

The Salon de l’Automobile de Genève – one of the most prestigious car shows of the year – is the place where the Borgward Hansa 1500 was unveiled in 1949 as the very first automobile construction after the war. Fans of the legendary Hanseatic brand can now re-experience the unique spirit of Borgward and its fascinating history ahead of the motorshow