The UK Department for Transport has established a £35-million ($53-million) fund to enable selected metropolitan areas to become “centers of excellence for low-emission vehicles.” The agency recently announced a shortlist of 12 cities that are vying for a share of the dosh. From this list, 2-4 finalists will be selected to receive funding awards.

The Go Ultra Low campaign, which is supported by 7 major vehicle manufacturers, will reward cities that demonstrate the most potential to become international role models for the adoption of “ultra-low emission vehicles” (which includes EVs, PHEVs and FCVs) in a local area.

An additional £30 million has been announced to enable local authorities and bus operators to replace legacy vehicles with low-emission buses to improve urban air quality. The Department for Transport will assess bids for the bus funding based on potential air quality improvements and value for money.

These programs are just the latest bits of a £500-million ($752-million) package to promote ULEVs that was announced last year.

Source: Green Car Congress