Skip to main content

Spark EV Technology selected for IM Accelerator programme

Start-up Spark EV Technology has been chosen for the UK’s Intelligent Mobility (IM) Accelerator programme to further commercialise its artificial intelligence-based electric vehicle (EV) journey prediction software. The IM Accelerator, a partnership between Transport Systems Catapult (TSC) and Wayra UK, supports six start-ups in delivering solutions to improve the UK transport system. Each programme lasts for six months and is based in the English town of Milton Keynes. Spark’s journey prediction softwa
January 18, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

Start-up Spark EV Technology has been chosen for the UK’s Intelligent Mobility (IM) Accelerator programme to further commercialise its artificial intelligence-based electric vehicle (EV) journey prediction software.

The IM Accelerator, a partnership between 7800 Transport Systems Catapult (TSC) and Wayra UK, supports six start-ups in delivering solutions to improve the UK transport system. Each programme lasts for six months and is based in the English town of Milton Keynes.

Spark’s journey prediction software uses machine learning to help EVs and hybrid vehicles travel further between charges using live data from the vehicle and driver. These predictions are expected to help drivers overcome ‘range anxiety’ – the fear that EVs will not be able to find charging points on longer journeys.

Gary Stewart, director, Wayra UK, says Spark’s solution helps to reduce transport emissions by accelerating the adoption of EVs.

Wayra UK (part of 6883 Telefónica Open Future) and TSC will provide Spark with office space, mentoring and network, access to the partners’ networks of investors, government agencies, customers and universities. In addition, Spark will have opportunities to work with TSC’s data, visualisation and connected and autonomous vehicle capability teams.

Telefónica, a Spanish multinational telecommunications company, launched the Telefónica Open Future innovation programme to connect entrepreneurs, start-ups and public and private organisations worldwide.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Atlanta ponders Mobility as a Service for seamless transit
    June 29, 2018
    Drivers in Atlanta spent 70 hours in peak-time traffic jams last year. As the MaaS Market conference moves to the US’s fourth most congested city, we ask how Mobility as a Service can help. Colin Sowman winds down his window to listen. It is not by accident that ITS International’s first MaaS Market conference outside London is being hosted in Atlanta. The event is being supported by Georgia State Road & Tollway Authority and the City of Atlanta – and again not without a reason as metro Atlanta is looking
  • Traveller experience study identifies key themes for improving transport network
    October 14, 2015
    The UK’s Transport Systems Catapult has identified key areas of development in the transport network in its traveller experience study, Traveller Needs, which comprised of 10,000 online questionnaire respondents, 50 company interviews, and 100 expert interviews. The research found that 75 per cent of journeys are characterised by pain-points, with 57 per cent of travellers always looking for ways to optimise their journey. Public transport is considered to be poor value for money with the ‘high cost
  • Nissan to lead human driving style AV project in the UK
    February 2, 2018
    Nissan’s European Technical Centre will lead a 30-month Autonomous Vehicle trial on UK country roads, high speed roundabouts, A-Roads and motorways with live traffic and different environmental conditions. Called the HumanDrive project, it will also emulate a natural human driving style with the intention of providing an enhanced experience for its occupants. The artificial driver model that controls perception and decision making will pilot the vehicle, and will be developed using artificial intelligence
  • Motown morphs into Mobility City
    August 7, 2018
    Detroit was once a byword for urban decay – but ITS America recently held its annual meeting there. This gave David Arminas a chance to assess how fast Motor City is moving down the road to recovery. Motor City, as Detroit is still called, was on its financial knees only five short years ago. The future looked bleak as the city and greater urban area bled jobs and population. It was on 18 July 2013 that Motown, as Detroit is also known, filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection, the