Electric motorcycles and an all-terrain, 4×4 electric delivery truck designed for emerging markets are among the projects set to receive a share of more than £43m of UK government and industry funding to help develop green automotive technology and cleaner transport.
Two projects have been awarded funding through the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) Collaborative Research and Development competition, which supports the development of innovative low carbon automotive technology.
The first one, Project Zero Emission Norton, located in Solihull, West Midlands will receive £17.2m (£8.5m funding through the APC) to develop an electric motorbike that delivers a high level of race performance and touring range, not only enhancing workforce capabilities and securing local jobs, but helping to strengthen the UK’s competitive supply chain.
The second project, OX Delivers CLEAN (Clean Logistics for Emerging African Nations), based in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire will receive £17.1m (£8.5m funding through the APC) to develop an all-terrain electric delivery truck designed for emerging markets and manufactured in the UK that can withstand tough off-road conditions by using long-life, lower cost batteries.
According to the UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, the projects are set to secure more than 550 jobs and save 27.6 million tonnes of CO2 – the equivalent of removing the lifetime emissions of 1.1 million cars from the road.
UK minister for investment Lord Grimstone said: “Supporting these strategically important technologies lays the path for our electric vehicle sector to compete on a global scale, driving jobs and growth nationwide whilst also creating cleaner, more sustainable modes of transport.”
In addition, 19 early-stage proposals that could bolster the UK EV supply chain have also been awarded funding to research, prove or enhance the case for their scale up, with the potential to create further jobs throughout the country.
The feasibility studies will be backed with £9.4m in matched government-industry money through the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF). Areas to be investigated include the development of EV battery components and the viability of using UK-sourced critical minerals.
Studies awarded funding include Livista Energy, in London, to investigate building Europe’s first standalone lithium refining facility capable of producing battery grade lithium; Nyobolt, in Cambridge, to assess scaling up of the manufacture of high-power battery technology that enables ultra-fast charging without sacrificing the battery’s lifetime or safety; and LTS Transport Solutions, in Queenborough, to explore the potential of opening an EV battery recycling plant in the UK by 2024.
The ATF was created to accelerate the development of an EV supply chain, enabling UK-based manufacturers to scale up production in strategically important technologies. The ATF is delivered by the APC to support capital and late-stage R&D investments.
Ian Constance, chief executive at the APC, said: “The projects receiving today’s investment highlight the breadth of technologies needed to help the UK accelerate to net zero emissions. They’re reimagining not just vehicles, but transport in general.”
