PM powers zero emissions vehicle research
Prime minister Theresa May has pledged over £100m funding, together with £500m of industry investment, to bolster research into low and zero emission vehicles, announced at September’s Zero Emission Vehicle Summit in Birmingham.
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The £106m funding will be focussed on developing electric battery, charging and hydrogen technology for the transport sector, to help the UK become a leader in low and zero emission vehicle technology.
The funding is also linked to the government’s ‘Road to Zero’ strategy, a £1.5bn programme supporting low and zero emission vehicle research, development and infrastructure. The strategy is aligned to the UK’s ambitions to phase out sales of new diesel and petrol fuelled vehicles by 2040.
Theresa’s ‘greener’ goal
The prime minister also hosted an Auto Investment Roundtable including supply-chain companies from Germany, the USA, Japan, China, Spain and India. The forum discussed what needs to be done to speed up the low and zero emission vehicle market while also emphasising the UK’s abilities in this sector.
Theresa May said: "Our Road to Zero Strategy is the most comprehensive plan globally - mapping out in detail how we will reach our target for all new cars and vans to be effectively zero-emission by 2040.
"These measures will drive the design, use, uptake and infrastructure necessary for cleaner, greener vehicles - and in doing so, it will help us drastically reduce a major contributor to our global warming emissions."
Energy expert eye
“Good news for the technology developers supporting the low and ‘zero’ emissions transport sector. It certainly feels like the government is pushing hard for the various technologies, batteries, charging infrastructure and hydrogen/fuel cells to develop quickly, with some short term cash and a longer term support programme.
“It will of course be important for investment in new grid scale low carbon electricity generation to continue as high carbon generation is phased out, to support the future aim of a largely carbon emission free transport system.” Alastair Fells MEI, Incorporated Eng, PG Dip Fuel Tech, BSc Hons
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