APC announces winning applicants for £86.9m funding for scale-up of net zero vehicle technology

Mon 09 October 2023 View all news

The Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) has announced the successful applicants of its latest funding rounds, sharing £86.9 million of Government and industry funding into zero tailpipe emission vehicle technology.

The package of funding supports includes collaborative R&D projects, feasibility studies and scale-up projects. 

Benefiting from this multimillion-pound investment under APC Collaborative Research and Development (CR&D) are consortia led by:

  • Aston Martin, to accelerate the development of a luxury battery electric vehicle platform, enabling a route to net zero, including vehicle lightweighting, a digital toolchain, and electrification training.
  • Yasa, the consortium is focused on creating an innovative combined electric propulsion & handling system which aims to revolutionise existing EV architecture standards and bring a new level of electrified performance.
  • Gestamp’s Autotech Engineering R&D UK, leads a consortium on a project to create new design methodologies, processes, and materials for reduced embodied carbon footprint in product designs.
  • Perkins, the British engine maker, subsidiary of Caterpillar, will develop a hydrogen-hybrid, integrated power system for off-highway vehicles.

APC Chief Executive Officer Ian Constance said: “The 23rd round of our collaborative R&D competition coincides with the APC’s 10th anniversary. We have seen over £1.4 billion of investment into automotive projects since the APC was set up, and I am proud of the impact that we have made here in the UK. 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.”

This is the latest in Collaborative R&D support from the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), with a total project cost of £67.9 million, covering a range of different vehicle types to decarbonise each market segment they inhabit.

This includes a £33.9 million Government grant combined with industry match-funding.

APC says that the projects funded will range from luxury cars to workhorse excavators, the multi-year projects will capitalise on the expertise of the UK’s broad automotive industry by bringing manufacturers together with SMEs and academic partners.

Each will contribute to jobs and capability in the UK – estimated to create or safeguard more than 4,700 jobs in total across the R&D projects. 

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