New government investment will speed up development of
carbon reduction technology for road vehicles
Over £12 million is to be invested by the
government-backed Technology Strategy Board to develop new
technology that will speed up the reduction of CO2
emissions from road vehicles.
The investment will be made in sixteen proof
of concept studies, which will last up to one year, and six
longer-running full research and development projects. The
total value of the research will be in the region of £25 million,
with the remaining funding provided by the UK organisations taking
part in the work.
John Laughlin, the Technology Strategy Board's
Low Carbon Vehicles programme manager, commented:
"This investment is part of our ongoing
strategy to put the UK at the forefront of low carbon vehicle
technology.
We are funding innovative projects in a number
of key areas which include internal combustion engine technologies,
energy storage and management, lightweight structures and new
propulsion technologies. The work will help to accelerate the
reduction of carbon emissions and deliver mass-market low carbon
road vehicles within 5 to 15 years.
In addition to helping to meet UK and EU
climate change targets, we anticipate this research and development
work will create significant market opportunities for UK-based
companies."
Since 2007, the Technology Strategy Board's
Low Carbon Vehicle Innovation Platform, sponsored by the Department
for Business Innovation and Skills, with strong support from the
Office for Low Emission Vehicles, Regional Development Agencies and
the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council, has invested
£74 million in over 50 innovative research, development and
demonstration projects, including the road-testing of 340 low
carbon vehicles across the UK during 2010.
Including contributions from the participating
companies, the total value to date of investment in low carbon
vehicle research and development managed through the Innovation
Platform is nearly £150 million.