The Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) has featured on PH before, allocating money from the Department of Business and Trade to those automotive causes deemed most worthy on the push to net zero. Previously it has assisted Aston Martin and McLaren in their powertrain endeavours.
Today a new round of funding has been announced, with an eight-strong list of successful applicants for the latest Collaborative Research and Development money. It will go towards research and development of the latest green tech, aiming to create or safeguard 3,500 jobs and reduce CO2 in both the making and using ‘of zero-emission vehicles’. Note that isn’t only EVs.
JLR, Ford and Gordon Murray are the names that stand out in a list that also includes Cummins. Each of the carmakers has received a seven-figure sum to help with their respective projects, to support their own investment. For JLR, that money is going towards its ‘SCALE-UP’ initiative, aiming to increase the use of ‘lightweight and circular composite technologies’ for automotive. JLR has received just over £3m, to go alongside its £6.3m spend.
Ford’s pitch was Project E-Steel, which intends to get e-sheet, stamping and lamination used more widely in the industry. More than £4m is coming from the APC, in addition to the Blue Oval’s own near-£8.5m. Arguably it’s the funding for the Gordon Murray Group that’s most interesting, awarded as it is for developing ‘a production-ready, ultra-lightweight, low CO2, monocoque architecture and solutions for a portfolio of class-leading future vehicles.’ Once the V12 T50 and T33 are built (they’re all spoken for, of course), a portion of the company’s attention will turn to creating technology for other manufacturers - remember Gordon Murray Technology was launched a couple of years ago. Now a division called M-LightEn will work on these new chassis, with the benefit of a sizable £5,496,535 from the grant, on top of GMG’s own £11,493,235 investment.
CEO of the Advanced Propulsion Centre Ian Constance said: “The benefits of working in a collaborative environment that includes academic institutions and small companies, go far beyond the financial support offered, and I look forward to seeing the results of these projects in a few years’ time.
“These collaborative projects will further advance the UK’s excellence in automotive production. From sustainable materials to advanced electronics, and smart software systems, it’s important we continue to demonstrate that the automotive sector is vital to the country’s net-zero goals and that it is a highly investable opportunity.”
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