£43 million to be invested in low-emission vehicles

The government has announced £32 million is to be allocated to support the growing popularity of plug-in vehicles infrastructure across the UK up to 2020.

This will include the implementation of further chargepoints and in addition will involve an extra £11 million of funding to develop low-emission vehicle technology.

In addition, £11 million of funding has been announced to boost the UK’s position as a leader in low emission vehicle technology innovation. The funding will be provided to 50 organisations, ranging from small businesses to major universities, working together on 15 research and development projects, which include:

The creation of a recycled carbon fibre material that will bring lightweight, low cost vehicle chassis structures to the mass market (led by Gordon Murray Design Ltd);

Development of a zero emission electric bus with hydrogen fuel cell range extender at a fraction of the cost of the current generation of hydrogen buses (led by Magtec); and,

A prototype zero-emission power and cooling system adapted from a cutting-edge liquid nitrogen powered engine that will dramatically reduce the CO2 emissions from refrigerated trucks and air-conditioned buses (led by Dearman Engine Company Ltd).

Transport minister Baroness Kramer will announce the funding during a visit to Nissan’s European technical development centre in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, today. Earlier, the minister visited Gordon Murray Design Ltd in Guildford, one of the recipients of the new research funding, before touring McLaren’s technology and production centres at Woking.

Baroness Kramer said: “The public will find it even easier to charge their cars when they are out and about thanks to our commitment to support new chargepoints across key locations in our towns and cities. And we have today announced another £15 million to continue to back the rollout of convenient home chargepoints across the country.

“Our support to the ULEV industry will help ensure the innovation that is a hallmark of the British automotive industry will continue to drive development in this vital growth sector.”

The £32 million infrastructure commitment will include:
£15 million to continue the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme. ULEV drivers will receive a 75% grant of up to £700 towards installation from 13 April 2015 (this is a £200 reduction on the previous grant funding which finishes on April 12)

£8 million to support public charging infrastructure across the UK which, alongside £15 million Highways Agency funding announced in Autumn 2014, will deliver chargepoints on major roads and across towns and cities. Bidding for these schemes will open in May 2015; and,
£9 million to address other infrastructure priorities and to ensure the chargepoint network remains accessible and open for users. Further details will be announced later this year.

The government and industry are also working closely on the Go Ultra Low campaign to increase consumer and fleet uptake. Seven major vehicle manufacturers and the government are backing Go Ultra Low to highlight the increasing variety and benefits of ULEVs.

Comprehensive information about these vehicles, including the location of chargepoints, is available at www.GoUltraLow.com

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