North East Funding Boost For Low Carbon Drive

The North East of England is set to establish itself as a leading hub for low carbon vehicle technology and is expected to generate over 100 jobs in the region thanks to a £900,000 investment.

It is hoped that the cash injection delivered by the Collaborative Projects Fund and the Regional Growth Fund will drive the commercialisation of products and services developed in the North East and will stimulate growth throughout the UK.

Colin Herron, the Managing Director of Zero Carbon Futures, said: “This continued investment is great news for the companies directly affected, but crucial for the UK's ability to develop a comprehensive infrastructure that supports the take-up of low carbon vehicles.

"The electric vehicle (EV) revolution is gathering pace, and the North East is becoming a hub of infrastructure development and subsequent EV adoption.”

As part of the investment, AVID Technology Group and Newcastle University will develop an improved water pump and DC fan and Sevcon Ltd and Wolverine Tube will develop a high voltage low power inverter for use in electric vehicles.

“It is vital for projects such as those supported by the Collaborative Projects Fund to continue evolving innovative solutions that help integrate or improve low carbon vehicle technologies,” added Mr Herron.

“For example, one of the successful projects, led by Route Monkey, will develop a software package that analyzes usage patterns of EVs to help work out residual values and optimize the total cost of ownership.

“This will help make EVs appeal to fleet managers who are under increasing pressure to reduce the running costs and carbon footprint of their operations.”

(Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)