Background

Decarbonisation through electrification is be suitable for passenger cars, however the technology’s fit for heavy duty vehicles (HDVs) presents more challenges in achieving the requisite extended range. Advanced biofuels made from cellulosic materials, fuels from waste plastic and from the fossil portion of mixed waste streams are also increasingly offered as low carbon solutions. Low carbon fuels in the aviation, shipping and road transport sectors are seeing greater crossover thereby offering the chance to strengthen investment and commercialisation of future fuels. In parallel, ICE developers strive to improve efficiency and to achieve air quality improvements, equally affected by fuel formations.

The Automotive Council has published a series LDV and HDV automotive roadmaps to guide UK automotive R&D. LowCVP led the production of the first HDV and bus roadmaps in collaboration with Ricardo and since produced a fuels roadmap outlining a trajectory to 2050. However, the automotive and fuel roadmaps are not aligned.

The APC’s Thermal Propulsion Systems - Thermal Efficiency Spoke is leading a work stream over the next two years in partnership with LowCVP and Brighton University to understand long-term R&D priorities for low carbon fuels and clean efficient vehicles. This will be facilitated through a collaborative initiative entitled Transport Energy Network.

Objectives

  • To enhance collaboration between low carbon fuel and thermal powertrain developers by creating a Transport Energy Network (TEN).
  • To hold a series of workshops through the TEN exploring current R&D projects in the UK and internationally, the barriers, opportunities and priorities, their TRL status and mapping of low carbon fuels and thermal powertrains, as well as synergies between automotive, marine and aviation sectors.
  • To map out a joint automotive and low carbon fuels roadmap for the UK.

Timeline & Deliverables

April 2019 – March 2020

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