Low-carbon vehicle projects win £52m funding

Six projects will receive a total of £52m

The government has announced another tranche of funding to help develop low-carbon vehicles and specified the eligibility criteria for its £5,000 electric car grant for consumers.

Six projects will receive a total of £52m through the Technology Strategy Board, around £24m of which will be from government funds.

The projects include the development of new engines for plug-in hybrid versions of Nissan, Lotus and Jaguar Land Rover cars, a lightweight dustcart, development of lightweight materials for vehicle weight reduction, and new technologies using thermal energy to improve vehicle performance. 

The government has also set out the eligibility criteria for its £5,000 plug-in car grant for hybrids and electric vehicles. To be eligible, cars must emit less than 75g/km of CO2. Electric vehicles must have a minimum range of 70 miles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles must have a minimum electric range of 10 miles. The car must also have a top speed of at least 60mph.

The cars must also be provided with a standard warranty of at least five years on the battery and electric drive train. The criteria excludes motorcycles, quadricycles, and vans.

Business minister Mark Prisk said: “The winning consortia are all examples of the breadth and depth of the UK’s technical capabilities in low-carbon vehicles.”