£89 million funding awarded to cutting-edge electric vehicle projects

Twenty UK projects aiming to develop cutting-edge net-zero transport technologies have received £89 million of Government and industry funding.

The initiatives which have received the funding, awarded through the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), include hydrogen-powered off-road vehicles, a new lithium scale-up plant and revolutionary new EV battery systems.

The funding package, which comprises  includes four collaborative R&D projects, five scale-up projects to assess if businesses in the automotive sector are ready for growth, and seven feasibility studies to prepare projects to develop large-scale manufacturing facilities in the UK.

Ian Constance, chief executive of APC, said: “This latest announcement includes a diverse set of OEMs and suppliers that demonstrate the strength of UK automotive.

“They will further add to our portfolio of innovative projects and continue to drive the UK to deliver on its net zero ambition.”

Winners of the latest collaborative R&D competition funding include Aston Martin, which is accelerating the development of a luxury battery electric vehicle platform (pictured) and Perkins, who will develop a net-zero, hydrogen-hybrid integrated power system for offroad vehicles.

The latest round of funding also sees £11.3m awarded to 12 UK-based projects funded through the second instalment of the SuRV (Scale-up Readiness Validation) competition and the fourth round of the APC’s Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) feasibility studies competition.

The ATF’s Scale-up Readiness Validation (SuRV) projects will support scale-up projects to assess if businesses in the UK automotive supply chain are ready for growth and expansion.

Projects include Green Lithium who plan to build a lithium scale-up plant in Teesside, and Ilika Technologies who are working to accelerate the scale-up of Ilika’s solid state battery technology.

The ATF Feasibility Studies will produce decision-ready business cases, in preparation for projects which will develop large-scale manufacturing facilities in the UK.

The seven projects include Cornish Lithium, who are establishing a lithium processing plant in the UK to produce anode material for EV batteries, and Aberdeen Minerals Limited for the study of innovative mineral processing routes.

The support delivered through the APC is unlocking further private investment and supports the government’s ambitions to build an end-to-end supply chain for zero-emissions vehicles in the UK.

Also announced today are the winners of the Niche Vehicle Network (NVN) Production Readiness Competition, sponsored by the APC and supported by Innovate UK, provides grant funding to UK SMEs leading the way in sustainable, cutting-edge technology design.

A total of £1.1 million in grant funding has been awarded to four projects, including a zero emission Ariel Nomad – a low volume performance offroad vehicle – featuring a highly optimised EV powertrain, and also a UK-made electric scooter from Swifty Scooters, which is optimised for superior rider safety and ensures a long product lifespan