The UK government, in collaboration with industry partners, has allocated £89 million in funding to support 20 innovative projects focused on achieving net-zero emissions and advancing cutting-edge technology for electric vehicles. These projects reaffirm the UK's position as a global leader in zero-emission vehicle technology. The funding comprises four collaborative research and development (R&D) projects, five scale-up initiatives to assess the readiness of automotive businesses for growth, and seven feasibility studies aimed at preparing for large-scale manufacturing facilities in the UK.
This funding, facilitated by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), aims to establish a complete supply chain for zero-emission vehicles in the UK. Of the total investment, £45.2 million comes from the government, with an additional £42.7 million contributed by the automotive industry.
The projects cover a wide range of initiatives, including hydrogen-powered offroad vehicles, lithium scale-up facilities, and groundbreaking electric vehicle (EV) battery systems. Notable winners in the collaborative R&D category include Aston Martin, who are working on a luxury battery electric vehicle platform, and Perkins, who aim to develop a net-zero, hydrogen-hybrid power system for offroad vehicles. These projects are expected to create or protect over 4,700 jobs and reduce carbon emissions by nearly 65 million tonnes over the next decade.
The Scale-up Readiness Validation (SuRV) and Feasibility Study projects will assess the readiness of UK automotive supply chain businesses for expansion and prepare for large-scale manufacturing facilities, respectively. Notable projects in these categories include Green Lithium, which plans to build a lithium scale-up plant in Teesside, and Cornish Lithium, which is establishing a lithium processing plant in the UK to produce anode material for EV batteries.
In addition to these initiatives, the UK government is also investing through the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) to develop a comprehensive electrified automotive supply chain in the UK, including gigafactories, battery material supply chains, motors, power electronics, and fuel cell systems. The Niche Vehicle Network (NVN) Production Readiness Competition has awarded £1.1 million in grant funding to projects like a zero-emission Ariel Nomad and a UK-made electric scooter optimized for safety and durability.
This funding reinforces the government's commitment to promoting zero-emission vehicle manufacturing and driving innovation in the automotive sector. The Advanced Propulsion Centre, which has been instrumental in supporting these projects, has a track record of advancing low-carbon technologies and creating jobs in the UK automotive industry.
SOURCE: GOV.UK available here.
