Bluebird Automotive was a British manufacturer of milk floats and other electric service vehicles. [1] [2] The company existed from 2001 to 2007, and produced a few futuristic prototypes, but no production runs of vehicles. The Electron E150 prototype held the world land speed record for an electric milk float.
Bluebird Automotive began life as a company called Redi-51 Limited, based in South Wales, which was incorporated on 12 March 2001. It went through a series of name changes, becoming Bluebird Automotive Industries on 5 April 2001, Bluebird Automotive Group on 20 November 2001 and finally Bluebird Automotive on 5 November 2002. [3] In 2007 a meeting of creditors decided that the company was no longer solvent, and that it should be voluntarily wound up. Liquidators were appointed on 1 March 2007, and the company was finally dissolved on 13 July 2010. [4]
Between these two endpoints, precise details of what occurred are not always clear, but some of the details have been preserved in a trade mark dispute document. Golden Vale Dairies in Bridgend were facing a crisis in the early 2000s, with a fleet of ageing electric vehicles used for doorstep milk delivery, but no manufacturers still making new vehicles of this type. They approached Richard Rees, a director of Bluebird Automotive, and Paul Sparrow of Amalfi Designs was engaged to undertake some of the design work for Rees. In July 2002, sufficient progress had been made that a proposal was presented to Golden Vale Daries, as a result of which two vehicles were delivered to Golden Vale at an unspecified date. In parallel with this, Bluebird built a vehicle to challenge the world speed record for milk floats, which they did in August 2003. The chassis for the record-breaking vehicle, known as an Electron E150, was Llandaff Engineering. [5]
At some point, it was decided that a joint company should be set up, to handle manufacture of the vehicles, as Bluebird did not have the resources to do so, and needed the co-operation of a company like Llandaff. The company, Q Electric Vehicles Ltd, was set up on 6 July 2004. The intention was that Llandaff would supply funding and engineering services to the project, and Bluebird would supply intellectual property rights and technical services. The lack of a proper formal agreement between the two parties led to a trade mark dispute over the use of QEV as the brand name for vehicles and Q Electric Vehicles as a company name. [6] It appears that an order for five vehicles was placed by Golden Vale Dairies in November 2004. [7] By the time the trade mark dispute was judged, Bluebird was already in the hands of liquidators. [7] Subsequently, Q Electric Vehicles was wound up by order of the court, as it was insolvent, and the company was dissolved on 15 January 2013. [8]
The company intended to market vehicles with a generic QEV designation. The QEV70 was the smallest, suitable for a payload of between 1.5 and 2.2 tonnes, depending on body and battery weight. [9] The empty weight was 2.18 tonnes, the maximum weight was 3.82 tonnes and the maximum speed was 28 mph (45 km/h). [10] The range with one battery charge was 40 to 100 miles (64 to 160 km), depending on the chosen battery variant. To allow continuous operation, the batteries could be changed relatively easily. [11] The 73 volt motor delivered a maximum of 11.9 kW. [10]
Promotional literature stated that the company was developing a QEV90 model with higher horsepower and range, as well as a QEV120 light truck capable of speeds of 65 mph (105 km/h), with a range of 100 miles (160 km). Depending on the specification, it would weigh between 7.5 and 10 tonnes. [12]
In response to an enquiry from Express Dairies, the company also developed a milk float which they called the XDV. It appears that at least one of these was actually supplied to the customer, as it was placed on trial in Northampton, where it was used to deliver parcels for Parcelforce. [13] Described as an "all-purpose delivery/service vehicle", it was 15 feet (4.6 m) long and 6.1 feet (1.85 m) wide. With a maximum payload of 1.7 tonnes, it was capable of speeds of 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) and had a range of 50 miles (80 km). [14]
In 2003, the company were challenged to take part in a land speed record for electric milk floats by a team from Electric Dreams, based in the Midlands. The Electron E150 prototype was taken to Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, near Leicester, for the event, and achieved a speed of 73.39 miles per hour (118.11 km/h) in August 2003, compared to 52 miles per hour (84 km/h) for the rival team, using a traditional milkfloat. [15] The chassis for the vehicle was designed by Llandaff Engineering, with bodywork by Amalfi Designs. [16] The company holds the European land speed record for electric cars at 137 miles per hour (220 km/h). [1] [17] [18] [19]
A milk float is a vehicle specifically designed for the delivery of fresh milk. Today, milk floats are usually battery electric vehicles (BEV), but they were formerly horse-drawn floats. They were once common in many European countries, particularly the United Kingdom, and were operated by local dairies. However, in recent years, as the number of supermarkets, small independent grocers and petrol stations, and convenience stores stocking fresh milk has increased, many people have switched from regular home delivery to obtaining fresh milk from these other sources.
A Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) is a U.S. category for battery electric vehicles that are usually built to have a top speed of 25 miles per hour (40 km/h), and have a maximum loaded weight of 3,000 lb (1,400 kg). Depending on the particular laws of the state, they are legally limited to roads with posted speed limits of 35 miles per hour (56 km/h) or less. NEVs fall under the United States Department of Transportation classification for low-speed vehicles. The non-electric version of the neighborhood electric vehicle is the motorized quadricycle.
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A battery electric vehicle (BEV), pure electric vehicle, only-electric vehicle, fully electric vehicle or all-electric vehicle is a type of electric vehicle (EV) that uses energy exclusively from an on-board battery. This definition excludes hybrid electric vehicles. BEVs use electric motors and motor controllers instead of internal combustion engines (ICEs) for propulsion. They derive all power from battery packs and thus have no internal combustion engine, fuel cell, or fuel tank. BEVs include – but are not limited to – motorcycles, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, railcars, watercraft, forklifts, buses, trucks, and cars.
Wales & Edwards was a British manufacturer of milk floats based in Harlescott, Shrewsbury. They were particularly well known for their three wheelers. It was one of the oldest milk float manufacturers lasting from the early 1940s to the early 1990s. In 1989, the company was acquired by Smith Electric Vehicles. Major customers included United Dairies and in the early years, Express Dairies. The basic design evolved throughout W&E's existence before finally ending its days as the Rangemaster.
Harbilt Electrics Trucks was a British manufacturer of milk floats, other battery electric road vehicles and a variety of battery electric vehicles designed for industrial use rather than on the public roads. The company was formed in 1935 in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, and diversified into electric vehicles after the end of the Second World War. They had a good record at exporting their products, with notable successes in Switzerland and California. There were several changes of ownership during the 1970s and 1980s, and the company ceased to exist in 1989.
Graiseley Electric Vehicles were produced by the British company Diamond Motors Ltd of Wolverhampton. They had previously made motor cycles, but began producing battery-electric road vehicles (BERV) in the mid 1930s. They were best known for their three-wheeled pedestrian controlled vehicles, although they also produced conventional four-wheeled milk floats, and later manufactured industrial trucks. The company went into liquidation in the early 1960s, although the marque was used by two other companies until at least 1972.
Manulectric was a British marque of milk floats and other battery electric road vehicles. The vehicles were made by Sidney Holes Electric Vehicles, of Brighton, Sussex. They were designed out of Holes' experience of doorstep milk delivery, through Holes and Davigdor Dairies. Both pedestrian controlled vehicles (PCVs) and ride-on models were produced, and entered the market around 1947. The company was bought by Stanley Engineering in the 1960s, and sold to Crompton Electricars in 1972. Some Manulectric models were subsequently manufactured by Harbilt Electric Trucks. At least four Manulectric vehicles have survived, and are privately preserved.
Lewis Electruk was a British marque of milk floats, produced by T H Lewis Ltd, a company which had close ties with Express Dairies, the London-based retail milk company. They made pedestrian controlled vehicles (PCVs) and ride-on vehicles between 1934 and 1961. The manufacturing of battery electric road vehicles was then sold on to Morrison-Electricar who continued to build two Electruk models for the dairy industry. Major purchasers of their products included Express Dairies and the London Co-operative Society.
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Partridge Wilson Engineering was a company established in Leicester, England in 1926. It initially made radios, and then battery chargers. In 1934 it began to build battery electric road vehicles, producing both cars and milk floats, which were marketed under the Wilson Electric marque. Vehicle production ceased in 1954, but it continued to make chargers and rectifiers. In 1974, it became part of Westinghouse Davenset Rectifiers Ltd, owned by Westinghouse Brake & Signal Company and in 1986 the Leicester site was closed, with manufacturing transferring to Chippenham. At least two of the commercial vehicles and three of the cars have been preserved.
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Ross Auto Engineering was a British manufacturer of milk floats and other battery electric road vehicles. The company was formed in 1949 by Victor Electrics, another manufacturer of milk floats. In 1955 they took over the production of Helecs battery electric road vehicles, and also introduced their own models. With the rapid demise of home milk deliveries, production of vehicles ceased in the 1980s, by which time the company had diversified into mobility services, and began trading as Ross Care.
MetroVick electric vehicles were a range of battery electric road vehicles produced by the heavy engineering company Metropolitan-Vickers between 1934 and 1944. The company was renamed Metropolitan-Vickers in 1919, and entered the electric vehicle market in 1934, when they bought up the General Vehicle Company of Birmingham. They inherited the designs for the Gordon range of models, and continued to service and supply parts for the G.V. Electric vehicles. Their main sales seem to have been of light vans and dairy vehicles, in three sizes, which they promoted through a series of exhibitions. During the Second World War, they experienced difficulties in obtaining raw materials, and the number of vehicles that could be built was severely restricted by quotas. Production of the range ceased entirely in 1944, and when hostilities ceased, they sold the electric vehicle business to Brush in 1945.