Autonomous and zero-emission car research to benefit from government funds

The Government has announced hundreds of millions of pounds of investment in cutting-edge automotive technology, including autonomous and zero-emission vehicles.

Business and energy secretary Greg Clark confirmed the funding today in the first Automotive Sector Deal, aimed at strengthening collaboration between the government and industry.

Investments include £26.4m, matched by industry, for low-carbon vehicle projects involving Ford, GKN and Jaguar Land Rover. In total, the government and companies will invest about a quarter of a billion pounds to develop and manufacture electric vehicles.

The deal also aims to create a “world-leading testing environment for connected and autonomous vehicles,” including a £15m simulation and modelling R&D competition launching on 16 January.

“In the next 10 years, the sector will see more change than in the previous hundred,” said Clark. “From the engines that power our cars, to the way we control them and our attitudes to owning them, technology is changing what the industry looks like and where money can be made.”

Another key part of the deal is £32m of new funding for an industry-led competitiveness programme to help grow the UK supply chain and make it internationally competitive, as the government and companies prepare for Brexit.

The sector deal will help keep the UK at the forefront of electric, connected and autonomous vehicle technology, said Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

“In its implementation, the deal must help the industry build on our success and seize the opportunities presented by such technological innovations,” he added. “Given current uncertainties, it must also be complemented by ongoing efforts to maintain the right conditions for growth.”

To explore more about the opportunities that will be unlocked during the race to zero emissions, join us and speaker Boob Moran, Deputy Head at the Office of Low Emission Vehicles, at out upcoming John Player Lecture: Charging ahead - How the UK is leading the race to zero emissions vehicles.

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