Almost £130 million of government and industry investment is being put into next-generation UK automotive technology, supporting projects covering everything from electric vehicle components and battery materials to autonomous vehicles, sensors and artificial intelligence.
More than 1,800 jobs are expected to be supported as a result.
Where Is The Money Going?
Almost £65 million of government funding is being matched by industry, taking the overall investment to nearly £130 million. Nearly £50 million of that government funding is going to automotive companies and research partners working on technologies that could help the UK develop and manufacture zero-emission vehicles at scale.
It’s part of the government’s wider DRIVE35 programme, which has committed £4 billion of funding through to 2035 to support the automotive industry’s transition towards zero-emission vehicle manufacturing. Interestingly though, it’s not all about funding fully built vehicles as some of the projects are looking at the individual technologies and materials we’ll need to build them in the first place. That’s important as the success of a car being built in the UK is somewhat diminished if many of its components are made elsewhere.
If the UK wants to remain an important automotive manufacturing country, batteries, motors, electronics, materials and the engineering behind them all need to be made here too.
Bentley Is Among The Companies Involved
Bentley Motors is one of the lead partners receiving support through DRIVE35’s Collaborative R&D programme, which brings companies and academic institutions together to develop technologies towards commercial readiness. Other companies involved across the DRIVE35 programmes include Turntide Technologies, Cornish Lithium, YASA, Nexperia UK, Anaphite and Electra Commercial Vehicles.
Together, the projects cover areas including electric motors, battery technology, materials and manufacturing. It might not be as exciting as unveiling a new supercar, but this is the sort of work that could determine how much of the next generation of vehicles Britain actually builds.
It’s Not Just About EVs
Another £17 million is being invested into nine connected and automated mobility projects. These cover technologies including sensors, brake-by-wire systems and AI simulation, as well as looking at how automated vehicles could actually be used in the real world.
Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK, Aurrigo, Five AI (part of Bosch Mobility), and Alcon Advanced Technologies are among the organisations leading projects. The government also points to estimates from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders suggesting the connected and automated mobility sector could eventually contribute around £66 billion to the UK economy by 2040.
What Does Britain Build Next?
When people talk about the future of the automotive industry, the conversation can very quickly become about EVs However, we need to remember that whatever we’re driving in ten or twenty years will involve a lot more than simply choosing what powers the wheels. Battery technology matters, electric motors matter, materials matter, manufacturing matters, software matters, autonomous technology matters. And, importantly, the people and companies developing all of those things matter too.
As a country, Britain has an incredible automotive history. We’ve designed, engineered and built some of the most important and recognisable cars in the world. With this funding, hopefully we can continue to influence the automotive industry of the future.
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