The UK government has launched a research and development competition to discover EV innovations.
Some £20m in funding will be shared between the most promising EV projects.
The funding aims to help the UK transition towards all new cars and vans being zero-emission by 2035, as part of the government’s ‘builds back greener’ plan.
Launching the competition, the government clarified its response to the consultation on ending the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans. It said it was committed to phasing out new vehicles of this kind by 2030, and for all new cars and vans to be zero-emission at the tailpipe by 2035.
Read more: UK to end sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans in 2030
According to the UK Department of Transport, the investment will help ensure the UK remains a leader in EV design and manufacture. It added the competition could create around 6,000 skilled jobs over the next decade.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: “Investing in innovation is crucial in decarbonising transport, which is why I’m delighted to see creative zero-emission projects across the UK come to life.
“The funding will help harness some of the brightest talent in the UK tech industry, encouraging businesses to become global leaders in EV innovation, creating jobs and accelerating us towards our net-zero ambitions.”
Previous winners include Urban Foresight, which received £3m to develop retractable on-street EV chargers, and ULEMCo’s zero-emission ambulance prototype, which can reach a top speed of 90mph and travel an average of 200 miles a day.
