Low Carbon Vehicles

The Technology Strategy Board and the Department for Transport (DfT) launched a competition on 21 September 2007, to allocating up to £20m of funding to support low carbon vehicle research, development and demonstration (R,D&D) projects.

It is the first competition under the new Low Carbon Vehicles Innovation Platform - which seeks to position the UK's automotive sector to benefit from growing public and private sector demand for lower carbon vehicles.

The competition is focussed on bringing forward relatively near market low carbon vehicle technologies, whether for private or public service vehicles, that could be viable candidates for commercialisation or fleet procurement initiatives over the next 5-7 years.

Tackling a continued growth in emissions represents one of the most significant challenges in moving to a lower carbon economy. Responses to the challenge include the development of a wide range of new initiatives, incentives and regulations focussed on improving the fuel economy and thus carbon emissions of vehicles.

Scope for Applications

The competition supports collaborative projects that will help bring new lower carbon vehicle technologies to the point where they can begin to be commercialised in the UK and wider global vehicle markets.

There are no specific constraints on the vehicle categories and technologies that can be proposed in this competition. Indeed, applications relevant for passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, buses and taxis would be welcomed. Similarly all relevant in-vehicle technology options are eligible.

Applicants should however take note of the significant weight given in this call to the key selection criteria that are laid out in the document below:

Future competitions under this Innovation Platform are expected to involve the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and focus on Research and Development into very innovative technologies with the potential of delivering large scale carbon reduction from vehicles over longer timescales.

Deadline for receiving full stage applications: 28 January 2008
Decision and feedback to applicants: March 2008

More information and contacts

Queries about the technical scope of the competition or the application process, can be sent to info@technologyprogramme.org.uk or contact the Helpline on 01355 272155.