Over £70 million to accelerate the future of clean transportation. One of the game-changing ideas supported by £73 million in new financing for the development of clean transport technology is a large tractor driven by farm waste.

The collaborative government and industry investment will assist initiatives across the UK, from Burnaston to Bridgwater, to establish a complete supply chain for zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs). The five selected projects are expected to sustain 3,300 employees in the UK.

By developing new methods to strap renewable fuels, electric motors are both powerful and highly efficient, and novel materials that will lower the auto industry’s carbon impact. Government funding for £36.4 million was provided through the Advanced Propulsion Centre Collaborative Research and Development project.

Which supports the development of new low and zero-carbon vehicle technology.

Grant Shapps, secretary for business, stated: “Our automotive industry is a global leader, generating employment in Essex, Somerset, and Glasgow. Capitalizing on the promise of new technology will be crucial to its future success while also making our roadways cleaner, greener, and more cost-effective.”

“Today’s multimillion-pound boost, achieved by government and industry working together, will place these companies in a prime position to pioneer these breakthroughs. And remain in the limelight of the global competition for decades.” Joint recipients of government and industry support are:

  • HVS, Glasgow

Obtaining £30 million to build a hydrogen fuel-powered HGV cab and tractor unit to change the highly polluting diesel-powered vehicles now used for road freight transportation.

  • CNH Industrial, Essex

Receiving £15.6 million to construct the world’s first off-road, heavy tractor powered by liquid fugitive methane. It utilizes methane gas produced by agricultural waste that would have contrarily been released into the atmosphere.

  • Toyota, County Derby

Receiving £11.3 million for developing a hydrogen-fuel cell variant of the Hilux pickup truck, suited for usage in remote areas where charging an electric vehicle is unfeasible.

  • The Constellium and Slough

Receiving £10 million to provide new supplies of recycled aluminum might drastically lower the carbon impact of the automotive industry.

  • Somerset Electrified Automation

Receiving £6 million to scale up a disruptive new technology for producing electric motors, which are more cost-effective, powerful, and efficient than most competitors.

Ian Constance, stated: “Supporting critical research and development in the UK presents a chance to invest in transport decarbonization and stimulate growth in the automotive industry.”

“The £73 million financing announced today will advance world-leading research in net-zero technology for the automotive industry and beyond.” These five great projects are collaborative by design, headed by high-profile firms with innovative SME and academic partners, and reflect the best of the UK’s business community.”

The financing announced today is in addition to the government’s investment through the Automotive Transformation Fund to establish an automotive supply chain in the UK. This includes releasing private capital for gigafactories, battery material supply chains, motors, and fuel cell systems. BEIS collaborates with the Advanced Propulsion Centre to deliver the ATF.

Through the Faraday Battery Challenge, the government has committed  £211 million to battery research and innovation to help the sector 100,000 employees by 2040.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will administer the funds, with assistance from the Faraday Institution.

The UK Hydrogen Strategy describes how the government, in collaboration with industry, intends to generate 10GW of hydrogen production capacity for usage throughout the economy by 2030.

This is part of the British energy security plan, which aims to provide safe, clean, and affordable energy for the foreseeable future. More than £70 million in government and industry funding will be used to establish clean technology projects to support 3,300 jobs whilst driving economic growth across the UK. Among the innovations receiving funding are those required for hydrogen-powered HGVs and more efficient methods for manufacturing electric motors.

An £11.3 million project backed by £5.6 million from the government and £5.7 million from the private sector to develop and pilot-produce a hydrogen fuel cell-powered Toyota Hilux pickup truck.

Over the next decade, this will sustain around 250 employees in the United Kingdom.

Toyota has manufacturing facilities in Burnaston, Derbyshire, and Deeside, North Wales.

PIMMS – Electrified Automation

(Process Innovations for electric Motor Manufacturing Solutions) PIMMS will scale up a new process for producing permanent magnet electric motors, which are utilized in various electric cars. This £6.02 million initiative is funded by £3.01 million from the government and £3.01 million from the private sector. The headquarters of Electrified Automation is in Bridgwater, Somerset.

HVS – Hydrogen-Electric HGV Powertrain Development

A £30 million initiative, backed by £15 million from the government and £15 million from industry, to create a hydrogen fuel-powered HGV cab and tractor unit to replace diesel-powered equivalents now in use in the UK and Europe. HVS is based out of Glasgow.

Constellium – CirConAl project

CirConAl, or Circular and Constant Aluminium, is an initiative to improve the industry’s way aluminum scrap is managed. The goal is to offer the auto sector sources of recycled aluminum alloys with lower carbon emissions and costs. This £10 million project is supported by £5 million in government money and £5 million from the business. Slough is where Constellation’s UK headquarters are located.

CNH Industrial – ATLAS

This £15.6 million initiative, backed by £7.8 million from the government and £7.8 million from industry, will produce the world’s first off-road, heavy tractor powered by liquid fugitive methane. This methane can be generated from animal feces, making it a viable fuel source in agricultural contexts. CNH Industrial has its headquarters in Basildon, Essex.

About the Advanced Propulsion Centre in the UK

The Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) engages with the UK government, the automotive industry, and academics to accelerate the industrialization of technologies and enable the transition to delivering vehicles with net-zero emissions. Since its inception in 2013, APC has supported 188 low-carbon projects with 426 partners. Working with businesses of all sizes contributed to the creation or preservation of almost 50,000 jobs in the UK.

It is anticipated that the technologies created via these programmes will save over 312 million tonnes of CO2, comparable to eliminating the lifetime emissions of 12.6 million automobiles. Long-term, its efforts to promote innovation and collaboration are laying the groundwork for a prosperous and sustainable UK automotive sector.