3 minute read - 10th October 2023
£89m of funding announced to support development of new electric vehicle technology
Twenty net zero tech projects have been awarded £89m of government and industry funding, in support of ambitions to build an end-to-end supply chain for zero emission vehicles in the UK.
The landmark funding package includes four collaborative R&D projects, five scale-up projects to assess if businesses in the automotive sector are ready for growth, and seven feasibility studies to prepare projects to develop large-scale manufacturing facilities in the UK. Winning projects include hydrogen-powered off-road vehicles, a new lithium scale-up plant and revolutionary new EV battery systems.
The government is providing £45.2m of the investment through the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), backed by a further £42.7m from the automotive industry.
£89m of funding has been awarded to 20 new electric vehicle technology projects, including Aston Martin for its electrification programme / Picture: Aston Martin
Nusrat Ghani, minister for industry and economic security, said: ” Together with industry, we’re providing a huge £89 million of funding to drive 20 groundbreaking net zero tech projects which will help grow the economy and create UK jobs in the industries of the future. From net zero tractors to cutting-edge battery projects, we’re taking decisive action to back the UK’s innovators and ensure we remain at the forefront of zero emission vehicle technology.”
From luxury cars to workhorse excavators, over £67m will support collaborative R&D projects aimed at accelerating the development of zero emission technology in the UK, safeguarding and creating jobs and supporting investment in R&D. Projects include Aston Martin, who are accelerating the development of a luxury battery electric vehicle platform and Perkins, who will develop a net-zero, hydrogen-hybrid integrated power system for off-road vehicles.
APC chief executive, Ian Constance, added: ” This latest round of funding coincides with the APC’s 10th anniversary. We have seen over £1.4 billion of investment into automotive projects since the APC was set up, and I am proud of the impact that we have made here in the UK. This latest announcement includes a diverse set of OEMs and suppliers that demonstrate the strength of UK automotive. They will further add to our portfolio of innovative projects and continue to drive the UK to deliver on its net zero ambition.”
£11.3 million has also been awarded to 12 UK-based projects funded through the second instalment of the SuRV (Scale-up Readiness Validation) competition and the fourth round of the APC’s Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) feasibility studies competition. The ATF’s SuRV projects will support scale-up projects to assess if businesses in the UK automotive supply chain are ready for growth and expansion. Projects include Green Lithium who plan to build a lithium scale-up plant in Teesside, and Ilika Technologies who are working to accelerate the scale-up of Ilika’s solid state battery technology.