BIS announces £10million funding for low carbon vehicle R&D projects
Business Minister Mark Prisk has announced that The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is providing £10million for three major projects to address fundamental research questions in developing low carbon vehicles. The projects have been developed by EPSRC with the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) through the Low Carbon Vehicle Innovation Platform Integrated Delivery Programme.
According to Prisk, they will cover scientific and engineering issues related to hybrid electric vehicles' subsystems, the use of recycled and recyclable materials for manufacturing vehicles and look at ways of optimising the performance of electric motors and power electronics.
The Business Minister made the announcement at the opening of a new exhibition at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to showcase UK manufactured low carbon vehicles. "The coalition Government is absolutely committed to low carbon growth, tackling climate change and making our energy supply more secure," he said. "This exhibition highlights UK success as advanced manufacturers of low carbon vehicles and the £10m research grant will help ensure that the UK remains a world leader."
Chief executive of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Professor Dave Delpy, added: "As part of the Integrated Delivery Programme, EPSRC will be supporting a strategic programme of university based research. The provision of high quality academic research ideas provides the basis for businesses to translate science into the vehicle market."
The successful projects will be based at Loughborough, Brunel and Warwick Universities.
"Our world class science and research base is critical to promoting economic growth in emerging technologies, including low carbon vehicles," said Universities and Science Minister, David Willetts. "We have protected the science and research budget for the next four years. This will boost employment and instill the confidence of other investors. But, above all, it will improve people's quality of life by pushing at the frontiers of our knowledge."
