Hyer Power Ulemco will receive £7.9m to develop the hydrogen fuel cell range extender for specialised purposes, such as ambulances, fire engines and street sweepers.
Heidi – Bramble Energy will use £12.7m for work to demonstrate a fuel cell/battery hybrid powertrain on a double-decker bus, that will be cheaper than the equivalents currently available for large vehicles.
FCVGEN2.0 – Ford Motor Company will be awarded £16.3m 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 will get £12.7m for new technology to underpin battery and fuel cell electric buses.
EleVAIT – JLR will receive £12.6 million to design and develop technology for inverters – a component in EVs.
Cavendish – BorgWarner will be awarded £9.8m 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 will receive a £5.1m 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 in support of ambitions to build a supply chain for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in the UK. £38.4 million of this investment comes from Government, backed by a further £38.7 million from the automobile industry.
Chief executive at the APC Ian Constance said: “Investment into these seven collaborative projects continues the work that the UK does very well. Research and development, building the automotive supply chain, pushing the boundaries of clean technology for the road, whilst securing jobs across the country.”
The announcement comes on top of funding also being invested by the government through the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) to develop an electrified automotive supply chain in the UK.
This includes unlocking private investment in gigafactories, battery material supply chains, motors, power electronics, and fuel cell systems. The ATF is being delivered by the Department for Business and Trade in partnership with the APC.