A joint industry and government fund will award £88m across 46 projects that are developing a range of green vehicle technologies.
The funding, with £44.5m coming from government and £43.5m from the automotive industry, has been awarded through the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC). This non-profit organisation facilitates funding to UK-based research and development projects developing net-zero-emission technologies.
Two of the biggest recipients of the £88m fund include Protean Electric and Gordon Murray Group. The total investment in these two projects is £22.5m, including £11m through the APC’s collaborative R&D competition announced last year.
Protean is a Surrey-based automotive technology company working to bring to market power-electronics products, including in-wheel motors to improve an electric vehicle’s range, user experience and affordability.
Gordon Murray Group, which also has its headquarters in Surrey, will use the funding to support the development of a new “ultra-lightweight vehicle platform for future vehicles” dubbed M-LightEn.
Jean-Philippe Launberg, Gordon Murray Group strategy and business director, said: “The Gordon Murray Group and our R&D partners feel privileged to receive – through Innovate UK and APC – government support for the M-LightEn Project and be trusted with the development and industrialisation of leading-edge technologies to make cars significantly more energy efficient to build and run, contributing to the UK’s decarbonisation.”
It is estimated that these two projects alone will save nearly 13 million tonnes of CO2, while safeguarding and creating nearly 1,000 jobs.
The other 44 projects include eight collaborative R&D projects, seven Automotive Transformation Fund Feasibility Studies looking into battery and motor technologies, 11 projects aiming to rapidly develop automotive products, 14 micro-businesses, SMEs and start-ups specialising in zero emission technologies tackling transport decarbonisation and six projects exploring zero tailpipe emission vehicle technologies within the niche vehicle sector.
Sarah Jones, the minister for industry and decarbonisation, said: “Working in partnership with industry, this funding will drive innovation and propel the development of next-generation zero-emission vehicle technologies.
“From Royal Mail trucks delivering our post to cleaner, greener bus journeys, this funding will back projects that will lower emissions across the country while also supporting skilled jobs.”