Three projects have received the ninth round of the Advanced Propulsion Centre’s (APC) government-industry funding, which is part of a 10-year programme to make UK a world-leader in low-carbon propulsion technology.
With a total value of more than £70m, including both government and industry investment, the projects are expected to enhance the UK’s supply chain and competitiveness in the development of ultra-low emission vehicles, as well as upskill UK workers. The companies included in the project are Hofer Powertrain, Aston Martin, Ceres Power, Nissan, Artemis Intelligent Power and Danfross, and Robbie Fluid, covering a broad range of industries.
Artemis Intelligent Power will be looking at Greater London, aiming to introduce a disruptive technology to the off-highway vehicle sector that will reinvent hydraulic power for the digital age. Meanwhile, Ceres Power will be focusing on battery electric vehicles, which are among the core technologies that will enable the significant reduction of emission and pollutants in city centres and urban areas.
Ceres Power’s programme addresses commercial vehicles, one of the most challenging to decarbonise aspects of the transport system and will demonstrate the scalability of the technology to other automotive segments.
Hofer Powertrain, along with Aston Martin, is developing a new generation of technically-advanced e-motor and inverter modules, which will be manufactured in the UK, for future high performance vehicles. The project is expected to build the UK’s e-mobility skills base and improve productivity.
“The challenge of lowering emissions is shared by the entire automotive industry and includes all areas of the sector. This latest round of APC funding highlights the broad range of vehicle types that will benefit from developments in low-carbon innovation, with successful applicants developing technologies for commercial and off-highway vehicles, as well as the wider e-mobility industry. We expect that this approach will help to create and safeguard jobs across the UK automotive sector,” said Ian Constance, chief executive of the APC.
