Britain’s automotive industry is set to benefit from a £73.5 million government investment to develop green technologies and safeguard jobs, Business Minister Nadhim Zahawi announced, with Made in the Midlands member, JLR set to receive part of the fund for two separate projects.
Ten projects across the UK will receive a share of this new investment to develop cutting-edge technology for the next generation of electric taxis, cars and vans – including recyclable batteries, advanced electrical systems and ultra-lightweight components.
This funding will contribute to the automotive sector’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic by safeguarding more than 14,000 UK research and manufacturing jobs. It will also enable the manufacture of a greater volume of low emission cars, commercial vehicles and components right here in the UK.
Business Minister Nadhim Zahawi said that “Whether it’s researching future battery design or creating a lightweight version of the Ford Transit, companies in every part of the United Kingdom are leading the world in advanced automotive technology.
Not only will this funding ensure automotive companies can play their part in keeping us on the path to net-zero emissions by 2050, but it will also support thousands of jobs and be a welcome step towards the industry’s economic recovery.”
The two successful projects from JLR are Hi-VIBES, a consortium of academics and industry that will create a new electronic system that will be easier to build, as well as being lighter and cheaper. The second project is called ZEUS where JLR is developing a prototype hydrogen fuel cell vehicle with its partners. Hydrogen can play a role as a viable fuel in the future across the automotive industry alongside battery electric vehicles
The successful projects were chosen by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), which seeks to maintain the UK’s position as a centre of excellence for the research and development of low carbon vehicle technology.