The seven collaborative R&D projects, which have been made possible through the sixth round of APC funding since 2013, are forecast to create or safeguard 2,370 UK jobs and keep the APC ahead of its target to save 50 million tonnes of CO2 by 2023.
Projects cover a wide range of innovations, which will help the UK to become a global leader in low emissions technology.
Jaguar Land Rover is leading a consortium of UK advanced manufacturers, technology companies and universities to develop new lightweight vehicle technology, designed to enable reduced emissions while maintaining the performance of new cars and SUVs in the future.
Meanwhile, BMW Motorsport Ltd will collaborate with Delta Motorsport and WMG at University of Warwick to design, develop and produce power dense batteries in the UK.
The APC was established as commitment by government and industry to ensure the UK is at the forefront of advanced technology developments in the automotive industry. By 2023, it will have facilitated £1 billion of investment in UK automotive projects, with the aim of saving 50 million tonnes of CO2 and safeguarding 30,000 jobs.
Ian Constance, chief executive of the APC, said: “The sixth round of APC funding demonstrates the depth of low carbon development that is in the UK.”
Other projects include:
- Williams Advanced Engineering Limited and partners developing bespoke, high performance, cost competitive batteries for high performance low to medium volume applications. This project will focus on design for manufacture, recycling and reuse and making significant CO2 savings
- New Holland Agriculture, a brand of CNH Industrial N.V. bringing together a consortium to improve the performance, autonomy and efficiency of the brand’s concept natural gas tractor
- Penso Consulting Ltd leading a project to anchor complex composite structure manufacturing capability in the UK
- Ford Motor Company and its partners working on a project to develop combined system optimisation which will then be available for wider dissemination within the industry
- Westfield Sportscars Limited leading a consortium that will deliver an affordable, compact, hybrid powertrain for niche vehicle applications, which will be engineered and produced in the UK and exported through the company’s global retail network
Constance added: “From powertrain, to lightweighting, to energy storage, these new projects will not only lower emissions but secure thousands of jobs, address supply chain gaps, and help the UK become a true global leader in advanced vehicle technology.”
