Government reveals winners of £20m low emissions logistics programme

The winners include UPS, Air Liquide Group, University of Warwick, and Tevva Motors.

Vans will go electric and trucks will run on hydrogen dual-fuel under a £20 million government programme to cut emissions and improve air quality.

The funding, being delivered by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles and Innovate UK, is being given to 20 firms who set out plans for new ways to deploy low and zero emission vehicles.

A partnership led by ULEMco from Liverpool will receive £1.3 million to carry out trials using hydrogen dual-fuel technology, and UPS will get £1.3 million to invest in smart charging of its electric vans which run in central London.

Air Liquide Group receives the largest amount of funding – £2.6 million – for its project trialling biogas in 86 lorries ranging from 26 tonnes to 44 tonnes. In addition, five refrigeration units will use a prototype liquid nitrogen system.

Zapinamo has been awarded £2.2 million to work with Warwick Manufacturing Group at the University of Warwick to trial technology for ultra high speed rapid and movable charging technology for commercial vehicles.

Other companies involved in the programme are: Advanced Fuel Technologies, Arcola Energy, CNG G-volution, Howdens Joinery, Idox Software, Lawrence David, Magnetic Systems Technology, Magnomatics, Kuehne + Nagel, Tevva Motors, TotalSim, and Wider Aspect Innovation.

Transport minister John Hayes said: “This is yet another important step towards this government’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions from transport to help tackle climate change.

“We are already making headway through our investment in low emission vehicles, greener public transport and walking and cycling, as well as grants for innovative advanced biofuels projects.”

The aim of the competition, which received more than 40 applications, is to demonstrate new technologies and to encourage the widespread introduction of low and zero emission vehicles to UK fleets.

Meanwhile, the Advanced Propulsion Centre working in partnership with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Innovate UK has up to £35 million available to support projects to develop low-carbon automotive technologies.

Projects must:

• develop technologies that will lead to significant reductions in vehicle CO2 or other emissions;
• align with Automotive Council Technology Group roadmaps;
• develop the UK’s supply chain capability in low-carbon vehicle propulsion or light-weight systems technology.