Funding worth £1 million was awarded to four innovative UK niche vehicle technology projects by the Niche Vehicle Network (NVN) at the UK Government Pavilion during this year’s
Cenex-LCV show held last month. The announcement was made by NVN in conjunction with the
Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), marking a successful end to the ‘NVN 2022 Production Readiness Competition’.
This competition, which is sponsored by the APC and supported by Innovate UK, provides a platform for collaborative research and development for organisations active in the ‘UK zero-emission niche vehicle technology sector.’ As part of a ceremony held at the UK Government Pavilion, £1 million in grant funding was distributed between the four winning projects.
The winners comprised an amphibious e-all-terrain vehicle (e-ATV) for fire and rescue, agriculture and in-field broadcasting. To be manufactured by iNetic Ltd, Customised Composites Ltd, and Whinwhistle Coarse Fishery, the vehicle has been designed as an alternative to internal combustion engine equivalents and features an electric drivetrain, with both chassis and body designed and manufactured in the UK.
Also awarded funding was a durable EV beach buggy that features an integrated 160kW motor/gearbox/differential/inverter unit, powered by a battery pack that provides a range of 90-100 miles. The initiative was the result of a collaboration between UK firms Hall Engineering and Design, EcoClassics, and Pie Valley Buggies.
Also awarded funding was a new high-efficiency lightweight ‘aero wheel rim’ named HELAR. Led by Carbon Threesixty and supported by Composite Integration and Rimstock, this fully composite, aerodynamically efficient automotive wheel design combines light weighting and low drag to improve efficiency and performance.
The fourth vehicle project awarded funding was EV Mode, a collaboration between
FAR-UK Ltd, Lightweight Structural Composite Panel Technologies Ltd, and
3J Driveline Ltd. The project will demonstrate a generic front-end drive module suitable for sub-A segment M1 passenger vehicles, and L category vehicles. Its ‘out of the box’ bolt-on front-end drive module incorporates an e-axle with integrated inverter, braking, steering, suspension and crashworthiness.