A £50 million ‘state of the art’ facility for creating cleaner mobility recently opened in Coventry, giving a major boost to the UK automotive industry.

The Centre for Advanced Low-Carbon Propulsion Systems (C-ALPS), a collaboration between Coventry University and global engineering specialist FEV Group (www.fev.com), is looking to leverage academic and commercial expertise to support the development of the next generation of electric, hybrid and combustion engines.

Over 30,000ft² of purpose-built space will house some of the most advanced internal combustion and electrification test-bed facilities currently available in the UK, creating a dedicated resource for testing current and future powertrain solutions quickly and efficiently.

The centre’s facilities will be available to OEMs, SMEs in the supply chain and technology partners keen to accelerate the creation of new propulsion systems for use in the automotive, aerospace, marine and rail sectors.

C-ALPS will create 36 new jobs initially, with a number of apprentices and graduates from Coventry University already appointed.

Richard Dashwood, Coventry University’s deputy vice-chancellor (www.coventry.ac.uk), said: “This collaboration is a welcome boost for the UK automotive industry.

"We have a real opportunity for the country to lead the rest of the world when it comes to developing low-carbon propulsion systems, and C-ALPS has a major role to play in making this happen.

"It’s all about bringing the best of both worlds together, using the expertise and track record of the FEV Group in engineering consultancy and combining it with the academic knowledge of our professors to create a centre of excellence that can attract funding, build capacity in the supply chain and offer commercial testing services to car makers.

"Automotive is naturally the first target, but the technology will also be available to support the evolution of other sectors.”

C-ALPS houses test benches for powertrain components, including turbochargers, catalytic converters, battery systems and electric machines.

Three world-class professors have been recruited to lead the research team; they have significant experience in battery storage, power electronics and electric machines.