Skip to main content

UK Government funding for driverless and low carbon projects

The UK Government has awarded US$137 million (£109.7 million) of funding, alongside significant funding from industry, to help develop the next generation of driverless and low-carbon vehicles, as part of the Industrial Strategy and the government’s Plan for Britain. Seven innovative projects will share grants from the latest round of funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), the joint industry-government programme to put the UK at the forefront of low carbon vehicle technology. The projects,
April 12, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
The UK Government has awarded US$137 million (£109.7 million) of funding, alongside significant funding from industry, to help develop the next generation of driverless and low-carbon vehicles, as part of the Industrial Strategy and the government’s Plan for Britain.

Seven innovative projects will share grants from the latest round of funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), the joint industry-government programme to put the UK at the forefront of low carbon vehicle technology.

The projects, led by 1731 BMW, 5561 CNH Industrial, 278 Ford Motor Company, 7998 Jaguar Land Rover, Penso Consulting, 8309 Westfield Sportscars and Williams Advanced Engineering, cover a wide range of new innovations.

A further seven projects have won funding from the government’s Office for Low Emissions Vehicles (OLEV) to advance the development of a range of ultra-low and zero emissions vehicle technologies in the UK. These projects will be led by Equipmake, Ford Motor Company, Great British Sports Cars, Jaguar Land Rover, 5606 Ricardo Innovations, Romax Technology and 6616 Wrightbus.

In a fresh commitment to supporting these innovative technologies, the government has also announced that people buying an electric vehicle will continue to benefit from up to US$5,600 (£4,500) off the cost of an ultra-low emission car, up to US$3,000 (£2,500) off a hybrid and receive US$ 625 (£500) towards the installation of a charge point in their home.

It also announced the first winners of the second round of its connected autonomous vehicles competition, CAV2, with projects set to receive a share of up to US$39 million (£31 million), match funded by industry.

The CAV2 competition includes funding from the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, for four one-year research and development projects supporting CAV vehicle developments, specifically in the areas of energy reduction and air quality improvements. The government will launch its third CAV competition, CAV3, to fund further industry-led research and development projects later in the year.

Related Content

  • November 23, 2016
    Car OEMs target 2021 for rollout of SAE Levels 4 and 5 of autonomous driving
    New OEM smart mobility divisions, growing safety concerns relating to semi-autonomous driving, and recognition by national governments of the environmental and societal advantages of driverless vehicles will accelerate the deployment of more autonomous forms of driving, according to ABI Research. Its report, The Market Potential for Semi-Autonomous Driving, expects that semi-autonomous systems will continue to dominate the market over the next decade, with SAE level 2 and 3 systems accounting for 86 per
  • August 6, 2018
    Bristol advances towards 2050 emissions target
    Bristol City Council will install 120 electric vehicle (EV) charge points and convert part of its fleet to electric in a bid to become carbon neutral by 2050. The UK council also intends to transition at least 10% of its vehicles to electric by 2021. The scheme will take place across the West of England and is being funded by £2m grant provided by the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) through the Go Ultra Low West project. Go Ultra Low West’s stated aim is to provide the infrastructure and enviro
  • July 10, 2017
    UK government launches funding competition for vehicle to grid technology
    The UK government is to invest US$25.7 million (£20 million) in vehicle to grid projects as part of its Industrial Strategy to create a smarter energy system, while increasing the numbers of electric cars on UK roads.
  • August 2, 2018
    UK government gets future mobility challenge underway
    The UK government has unveiled plans under its Future of Mobility Grand Challenge which could change how people, goods and services move around the country. These initiatives have been outlined in the Last Mile and Future of mobility call for evidence, which provide an insight into how technology could make transport safer, more accessible and greener. Under the plans, electric cargo bikes, vans, quadricycles and micro vehicles could replace vans in UK cities as part of a strategy to change last-mile