Call for city firms to cash in on low carbon car revolution

COMPANIES in Coventry and Warwickshire are being urged to become pacesetters in developing the technology to power the low carbon cars of the future, a market which is expected to be worth $1 trillion in just 12 years time.

The call came at a two-day event in the region to launch a vision for the low-carbon vehicles of the future, with companies urged to take advantage of one of the biggest changes ever in the automotive sector.

Coventry and Warwickshire are being tipped to be at the heart of the electric car revolution going forward.

Jaguar Land Rover has said it wants the region to be at the heart of its electric vehicle production plans.

In addition the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre , which is currently being built, is predicted to be a catalyst in creating as many as 10,000 jobs as Coventry strives to become the country’s ‘motor city’ once again.

The recent low carbon event was held at Aston Martin’s headquarters in Gaydon and the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) at the University of Warwick .

It saw the launch of the Automotive Technology Roadmap, published by the APC on behalf of the Government’s automotive advisory organisation, the Automotive Council.

It will be used to inform private, public and government policy and investment decisions going forward.

The report draws on the expertise of 139 organisations from vehicle manufacturers and technology suppliers to consultants and academics and calls for greater collaboration on energy policy, public transport and innovation. It also suggests there will be no ‘clear winner’ in terms of low carbon vehicles as the UK heads towards 2040, when the Government wants to ban all new petrol and diesel vehicles.

The report talks of battery electric, hybrid and alternative fuel technology all having a part to play.

It’s changing faster than at any time in the last 100 yearsThe APC’s CEO Ian Constance said: “After decades of evolution, vehicle technology is now at an inflexion point, changing faster than at any time in the last 100 years.

“That presents a tremendous opportunity for British businesses.

“This new analysis will help investors, innovators and government understand which technologies need to be developed as we drive at increasing speed to low carbon transport, helping them make the decisions that will ensure the UK remains a global player in the $1 trillion global market by 2030 for low and zero tailpipe emissions vehicle technologies.”

The APC provides assistance to commercialise low carbon technologies and establish the supply chain to deliver them.

The APC’s head of technology trends Dave OudeNijeweme added: “We can see a deeply impressive range of innovations coming out of laboratories in the UK, but which ones should be backed and what are the barriers that need to be evaluated and overcome?

“Solid state batteries, for example, could help solve the range and weight issues associated with what looks like relatively stable battery technology, but how can their currently high costs be reduced?”

Mr Constance stressed that ten percent of UK manufacturing is automotive, so answering these questions and supporting the commercialisation of innovations will help British businesses - from technology innovators and suppliers to vehicle manufacturers grow profitably in a fast-changing global market.

“Through the Advanced Propulsion Centre, we are able to facilitate investment of £1bn of government and industry money to help British businesses validate and commercialise their innovations,” he said.

“New technologies disappear because the UK lacks the market pull innovators need to bridge this most challenging phase of innovation.

“The APC exists to make sure the best ideas succeed, creating affordable low-emission technologies that deliver jobs and value for Great Britain.

“The insights provided by our new Automotive Technology Roadmap will help us all ensure we succeed in delivering the required low carbon technologies.”

The roadmap is divided into five sections - electrical energy storage, electrical machines, power electronics, thermal propulsion systems (internal combustion engines), lightweight vehicle and powertrain structures - and covers passenger cars, buses and commercial vehicles.

Electrification features prominently in the report but the APC said that did not mean a mass adoption of full electric vehicles.

Mr Oude Nijeweme said: “What we see is the rapid introduction of a diverse range of electrification technologies, including mild hybrids, full hybrids, plug-in hybrids, fuel cell electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles.

“Clearly the majority of these still rely on internal combustion engines so continuing advances in that area remain important.”