Business Secretary Greg Clark and Transport Minister John Hayes have awarded £109.7 million of government funding — alongside significant funding from industry — to help develop the next generation of driverless and low-carbon vehicles, as part of the Industrial Strategy and the government’s Plan for Britain.
Seven innovative projects will share grants from the latest round of funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) — the joint industry-government programme designed to put the UK at the forefront of low-carbon vehicle technology.
The projects — led by BMW, CNH Industrial, Ford Motor Co, Jaguar Land Rover, Penso Consulting, Westfield Sportscars and Williams Advanced Engineering — cover a wide range of new innovations that will help the UK to become a global leader in low-emission tech-nology and safeguard 2,370 jobs.
Projects include: the development of a high-power battery suitable for high-performance vehicles; addressing gaps in the UK supply chain and strengthening them; the development of the fuelling system for a gas-powered tractor; and technologies to reduce the weight and improve electrification of SUV vehicle platforms.
A further seven projects have won funding from the Government’s Office for Low Emissions Vehicles (OLEV), to advance the development of a range of ultra-low and zero-emission vehicle technologies in the UK. These projects will be led by Equipmake, Ford Motor Co, Great British Sports Cars, Jaguar Land Rover, Ricardo Innovations, Romax Technology and Wrightbus.
In a fresh commitment to supporting these innovative technologies, the Government also announced that people buying an electric vehicle will continue to benefit from up to £4,500 off the cost of an ultra-low-emission car (or up to £2,500 off a hybrid) and will receive £500 towards the cost of installing a charging point in their home.
Business Secretary Greg Clark said: “Low-carbon and driverless cars are the future; as a Government, we are determined to build on our strengths and put the UK at the forefront of this revolution. Investing in this technology is an integral part of this Government’s efforts to ensure that the UK auto sector remains competitive and world-leading.
“The projects being awarded funding will help to extend our excellence in these cutting-edge research fields, helping to safeguard jobs while ensuring that the UK remains the ‘go to’ destination for automotive excellence.”