Consortia – which must involve academic institutions, transport industry operators and SMEs – have been invited to bid for a share of the cash, which aims to stimulate development and trials of low-emission commercial vehicles and/or on-vehicle systems.
OLEV expects projects to range in size from total costs of £250,000 to £5 million – much the same as the previous (now ending) Low Carbon truck Trial, which was similarly organised.
All project bidders will have to demonstrate that they can significantly reduce emissions in the freight, logistics, utilities and emergency vehicle industries.
OLEV makes the point that the objective of the low-emission freight trials is to encourage the introduction and uptake of low-carbon vehicles – and so help the UK meet its CO2 reduction targets, while also bearing down on NOx and particulates emissions, and reducing fleet operating costs.
Two project types are eligible for funding.
The first concerns vehicles and on-vehicle technology – the aim being to test and validate technology before commercialisation.
The second will favour projects concerned with “innovative and disruptive on-vehicle technologies, systems or business models”, with the overarching test again being reducing emissions.
Project bid registrations must be received by 12 October 2016.