Government launches £10m prize to encourage ULEVs development
Fri 02 August 2013
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The Government has announced a new £10 million prize to encourage the development of the next generation of ultra-low emission cars. The prize will be awarded for technological developments which will enable ultra-low emission vehicles to achieve the same range and running time as conventionally fuelled vehicles without needing to stop or burn fossil fuels.
The current range of ultra-low emission vehicles are considerably more expensive than conventional vehicles due to the high costs of developing the technology to run them. The aim of this prize is to encourage commercial and investment opportunities in Britain’s car industry and thereby reduce the cost to consumers of this advanced technology. The prize will only be awarded to technology developed for everyday cars that are comparable in price to the current range of conventionally fueled models, helping to ensure that the next generation of ultra-low emission cars are affordable for all.
Simon Lee, Market Place, Sustainability Manager at Business in the Community (BITC), praised this initiative stating: “This is great news for sustainable transport. While hybrid technologies are now firmly mainstream, ultra-low emission vehicles face major challenges due to limited ranges and recharging infrastructure. This investment will assist car makers to develop new low-carbon vehicles that are more attractive and more affordable to consumers.”
Government funding for the development of low-carbon cars was also welcomed by the car makers. Jonathan Garrett, Sustainability Director at Jaguar Land Rover, said: “Jaguar Land Rover believes the UK needs to be globally competitive in industrial innovation. We welcome this new prize which will encourage further research and development into sustainable technologies.”
The competition will start by the end of the year and will be open to all including businesses, universities and engineering experts. Entries will be judged by an expert panel against a set of criteria to determine when the prize has been won.
The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) will work with the Technology Strategy Board on designing the prize, along with other partners from industry and the academic world. The new prize comes on top of investment the government is already making in ultra-low emissions vehicles.
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