A range of projects are set to benefit after the Government announced £77 million in new funding for projects developing clean transport technologies.
The schemes, which range from work on battery-powered buses, to a hydrogen-powered version of the iconic Ford Transit van, will support more than 4,400 jobs across the UK over the next decade.
Joint government and industry funding winners include:
HYER POWER – ULEMCO Ltd £7.9 million backing to develop a hydrogen fuel cell range extender for electric vehicles used for specialised purposes, such as ambulances, fire engines and street sweepers.
HEIDI – Bramble Energy Ltd £12.7 million for work to demonstrate a novel fuel cell/battery hybrid powertrain on a double-decker bus.
0 – Ford Motor Company Ltd £16.3 million awarded to design and develop a hydrogen fuel cell-powered version of the Ford Transit van, which will initially be produced at Ford Dagenham.
NEXTGENZEBS – Wrightbus £12.7 million backing for new, market-leading technology to underpin battery and fuel cell electric buses.
CAVENDISH – BorgWarner Awarded £9.8 million for work to speed up the rollout of hydrogen-burning internal combustion engines, as an alternative to diesel, for use in heavy-duty settings.
ZETTA – Leyland Trucks Ltd A £5.1 million investment. By better use of automation and advanced testing, Leyland Trucks aim to increase productivity and step up their production of battery electric trucks.
The funding has been awarded through the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) Collaborative Research and Development programme.
A total of £38.4 million of this investment comes from Government, backed by a further £38.7 million from the automobile industry.
Industry and Economic Security Minister Nusrat Ghani said: “Our automotive industry keeps setting the pace globally and seizing the potential of new technologies. Today’s multi-million-pound boost will help them stay ahead of international competition, while delivering on our priority to grow the economy and support high-quality jobs.”
