Business and government invest £52m in low carbon vehicles 16 September 2010

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond announced today that, despite cutbacks, £24m will go to six winning projects aimed at supporting the UK's developing ultra low carbon vehicles industry.

The investment comes from the Technology Strategy Board and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (DBIS) as well as the cross-governmental Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).

Some of the UK's leading vehicle manufacturers, working alongside suppliers and universities, have secured the government funding, and the total costs for all six projects stands at just under £52m.

The six consortia, led by auto industry giants such as Ford and Jaguar LandRover, will run the projects, with a focus on growing the emerging industry's supply chain in the UK.

Speaking at the Low Carbon Vehicles 2010 event today, at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, Hammond said: "I congratulate the six winners for their fresh and innovative solutions to the low carbon challenge. These projects represent cutting edge technology, which has the potential to transform the way we travel in a way that will stimulate a vital and growing market."

Business Minister Mark Prisk added: "The winning consortia are all exciting examples of the breadth and depth of the UK's technical capabilities in low carbon vehicles. Collaboration between UK-based vehicle manufacturers, supply chain companies and academia will help Britain become one of the leading centres for the design, development and manufacture of ultra-low carbon vehicles."

The competition is part of the Technology Strategy Board-led Low Carbon Vehicles Integrated Delivery Programme, which aims to integrate the science base, through collaborative research and development to fleet level demonstration.

Author
Brian Tinham

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