In a major move towards net zero, the UK Government has announced that £88m of investment will support 46 innovative projects harnessing the power of zero emission vehicle technology for the public sector, including electric vehicles for the Royal Mail and NHS.
The investment will be split between central government and the automotive industry (£44.5m and £43.5m respectively), with funding being awarded through the Advanced Propulsion Centre.
The Department for Business and Trade described the news as “an important vote of confidence” for the automotive industry.
Government funding includes:
- Eight APC Collaborative R&D projects
- 11 Advanced Route to Market Demonstrator projects
- 14 Technology Developer Accelerator Programme projects
- Seven Automotive Transformation Fund Feasibility Study projects
- Six Niche Vehicle Network projects
Jewel in the crown
Today will see industry and decarbonisation minister Sarah Jones visit two successful applicants in Surrey – Protean Electric and Gordon Murray Group.
Between the two projects, nearly 13 million tonnes of CO2 is expected to be saved, while 1,000 jobs will either be protected or created. The cumulative government grant is £11m, with overall investment totalling £22.5m.
Sarah Jones said: “Labour is committed to boosting the jewel in the crown of our manufacturing base – the automotive industry. 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.”
“Congratulations to all the companies awarded funding in this latest round of competitions facilitated by the Department for Business and Trade and industry via the APC,” added Ian Constance, CEO at APC.
He added: “From collaborative projects to further advance the UK’s excellence in automotive production, to fast-start demonstrators delivering cutting-edge technology in a short period of time, through to our award-winning SME programme, it’s important we continue to show that the automotive sector is vital to the country’s net-zero goals and future economic growth, further evidencing that the UK is a highly investable opportunity.”
270,000 UK jobs
A new report from the Faraday Institution estimates that, by 2030, the UK will need battery capacity of around 110 GWh per annum – the equivalent of six gigafactories.
The FI also estimates that 270,000 jobs could be supported by the EV and battery industry to 2040.
The UK’s automotive sector benefitted from more than £20bn of private investment last year thanks to the government’s ambitious approach to the zero emission vehicle transition.
Central government highlights that it will continue to work with investors to advance plans to build a globally competitive EV supply chain in the UK, which will include harnessing private investment in gigafactories.
Image credit: iStock
