UK government boosts electric automotive sector
The UK government has awarded £73.5 million in funding through the Advanced Propulsion Centre. This includes ten projects in the automotive sector to develop technologies to reduce CO2 emissions. A significant proportion of the money is being spent on furthering electric vehicle production and technology.
The UK government has put together this funding package in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The funds to the tune of around of 81.4 million euros are intended to contribute to the recovery of the automotive sector with its 14,000 jobs and at the same time promote the development of green technologies, according to Minister of Labour Nadhim Zahawi.
The British government is aiming to aid the development of “highly efficient and ultra-lightweight components and help drive the automotive industry further away from its reliance on fossil fuel technologies.” This should be achieved by enabling the manufacture of a greater volume of low emission cars, commercial vehicles and components in the UK. Among those who will benefit from the initiative are Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, Ford, LEVC and Cummins.
The projects have been selected by the UK Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), a body commissioned by the government to promote research and development of alternative vehicle technologies. “It’s an exciting time for the UK automotive industry – we are on the precipice of an innovation landslide. The technology we invest in now is set to make an impact on the next generation of vehicles,” says Jon Beasley, Director of Technology and Projects within the APC Centre.
The funds will be used for projects such as Jaguar Land Rover’s Zeus and Hi-VIBES. The aim here is to build prototypes for a fuel cell vehicle that JLR is working on together with partners. Another focus for JLR is concentrating on the development of a fully integrated power electronics system that will be installed in all battery electric vehicles of the Jaguar Land Rover brand in the future.
The London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) has also been selected to create improved electrification technology for its vehicles in an internal project. In its new development, the company is aiming for greater efficiency combined with higher performance. BMW is also getting a slice of the conveyor cake for its FutureBEV project based in Warwick and Newport. A list of all ten projects can be found here.
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