More than £1 million has been awarded to four innovative UK projects as part of the Niche Vehicle Network’s 2023 Production Readiness Competition to drive research and innovation of net zero technology.
The winners, including CULLM, Ariel, Maeving and Swify Scooters, were announced yesterday at the UK Government Pavilion hosted at Cenex-LCV.
The competition is sponsored by the Advanced Propulsion Centre and supported by Innovate UK, with the aim to provide financial springboard for niche automotive SMEs, as well as expertise in final stage development and production readiness.
The winners include CALLUM, which plans to deliver a lightweight, rapid charge, electric all-terrain vehicle; Ariel, to launch a lightweight, aerodynamic off-road EV powertrain and body; Maeving, to develop a higher energy density, removable battery with improved thermal performance for its electric motorcycles; and Swifty Scooters, to accelerate its development of UK-made electric scooter featuring Lithium Ferro Phosphate chemistry.
Scott Thompson, Programme Director for the Niche Vehicle Network, said: “It’s great to see such a diverse and exciting range of projects being funded again this year, as part of a niche sector that is embracing the move to zero emission vehicles and a net zero future.
“We’re delighted to continue supporting these collaborative partnerships which are leading the way in sustainable cutting-edge technology design and delivering highly desirable vehicles.”
Josh Denne, Head of SME Programmes at the Advanced Propulsion Centre, said: “This crucial competition provides grants from UK SMEs and their supply chains to take existing low-carbon vehicle technologies from demonstration through to production readiness in a compressed timescale, leading to significant economic benefits whilst reducing CO2 emissions.
“The journey to net-zero must span the whole automotive sector, and these cutting-edge, highly innovative niche vehicle technologies will help the UK reach its climate targets.”
