The Low Carbon Vehicles Innovation Platform aims to maximise the benefit to UK-based businesses of the rapidly-developing low carbon vehicles market, and to help accelerate the adoption of low carbon vehicles in the UK.

The growing pressure from customers and regulators for more environmentally friendly vehicles is creating new business opportunities for both the established industry and innovative new entrants.

The Low Carbon Vehicles Innovation Platform invests jointly with the industry and other funders in interventions that promote UK-based R&D in low carbon vehicle technologies, and strengthen the relevant supply chains within the UK.

The Technology Strategy Board launched the Low Carbon Vehicles Innovation Platform in September 2007 and activity is expected to continue for 5-10 years.

The priorities

To identify the innovation platform's priorities Technology Strategy Board reviewed published roadmaps and held a number of stakeholder consultations. These priorities continue to be guided by an industry-led steering group and are also informed by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory reform (BERR)-funded New Automotive Innovation & Growth Team Technology Roadmap and associated work, which has recently been released by the UK automotive industry.

The Integrated Delivery Programme

The Low Carbon Vehicles Integrated Delivery Programme is a key tool that the innovation platform will use to achieve its goals over the coming 5 years. The programme has about £250m of joint government and industry investment, and co-ordinates the UK's low carbon vehicle activity from initial strategic academic research through to industry-led CR&D. Find out more.

The Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator

An ultra low carbon vehicle demonstration competition with investment of over £20m has recently concluded. Co-funded by the Technology Strategy Board with DfT, AWM, ONE and the South East of England Development Agency, it is targeting getting over 250 new and innovative cars on the road in the UK by the end of 2009. Through this we are aiming to showcase new and emerging low carbon vehicle technologies in real world situations, and to identify potential barriers to their wider adoption. The demonstrators will include in-vehicle data logging, user perception surveys, and consideration of the required local infrastructures. Find out more.