ELECTRIC vehicle leaders from around the globe will visit Oxford University’s Said Business School for a summit this summer.

The conference, which will take place on Wednesday June 26, and Thursday, June 27, will see 20 chief executive officers and managing directors set the direction of 'e-mobility' in Oxford.

The summit will focus on dual themes of business development and marketing.

Speakers will include leaders from across the industry, with CEOs from a number of leading UK, European and global companies.

The 2019 Oxford EV Summit speakers include Guenter Butschek, CEO and managing director of Tata Motors Worldwide; Mahesh Babu, CEO of Mahindra Electric, and Philippa Eddie, commercial finance specialist, Infrastructure and Projects Authority for HM Treasury/Cabinet Office.

Recent analysis of 29 global car manufacturers found they were investing at least $300bn in new electric vehicles, highlighting the global importance of this new approach to mobility.

The Oxford EV Summit is being organised by Oxford City Council in partnership with Green.TV.

The headline sponsor is EDF Energy while panel sponsors include Shell, BCLP Law, and DNV GL.

Last week Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council published updated proposals for a Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) in Oxford city centre.

READ AGAIN: Mixed views on revised plans for Oxford's ZEZ

The updated proposals, which drop plans to ban driving in some central Oxford streets by 2020, have attracted a mixture of views.

The revised plans follow 15 months of listening to businesses, residents, transport operators and health experts, with a view to ‘journeying to zero transport emissions in Oxford by 2035’.

The aim of the ZEZ is to tackle Oxford’s toxic air pollution and protect the health of everyone who lives in, works in, and visits the city.

It is also expected that the ZEZ will improve air pollution levels across Oxfordshire as the buses and taxis that serve Oxford also serve towns and villages across the county.

Ade Thomas, executive director of Green.TV, said: “We have a hugely significant line up of speakers at this year’s summit, with 20 CEOs, MDs and founders from around the world coming to Oxford, a world leader in zero emissions, to communicate their vision of the rapid shift to e-mobility.”

Tom Hayes, executive board member for a safer and greener environment at Oxford City Council, said: “The council is cleaning our air and saving lives with the world’s first Zero Emission Zone.

"Parts of our city are struggling to breathe because we’re choking on emissions from polluting vehicles. We need to accelerate the electrification of transport and Oxford’s second annual EV summit holds the keys to that revolution.

“I’m looking forward to attending the summit and working with the world’s leading electric vehicle experts and manufacturers.”

The updated ZEZ will be introduced in phases between 2020 and 2035.

The latest plans will require all 106 black cabs licensed in the city to move from 0 per cent electric today to 100 per cent zero-emitting by 2025 and all buses running in the whole city centre to have one of the cleanest (Euro 6) engines by 2020 then be zero emitting by 2035.

For everyone else, the ZEZ has been simplified from three to two zones: an inner ‘red’ zone covering streets around Cornmarket Street and an outer ‘green’ zone covering the whole city centre.

To find out more about the Oxford EV Summit visit the website at oxfordevsummit.org