Road to Net Zero Podcast

eShadow is an £8.5 million project - including £4.1 million in Government grant funding - aiming to develop a lightweight chassis design for electric commercial that significantly improves payload capacity without compromising durability or cost-effectiveness. 

Listen to this in-depth interview with late Professor Alan Banks, to whom we dedicate this episode. As UK Lightweight Innovations Manager at Ford, he had a central role in this project, and he is sorely missed. 

More information, and a video about the project, is available to watch here: https://www.apcuk.co.uk/impact/case-studies/ford-lighter-chassis-stronger-performance/ 

The APC, on behalf of the Automotive Council UK, has updated its roadmaps for 2024.

 

The highly-anticipated documents chart a path to a net-zero future, and give clarity to help you navigate through where the innovations will be in the next decade and beyond.

 

Reporting from Cenex Expo, the UK auto industry's showcase of zero-emission and connected automated mobility, Clem Silverman asked people why it's important to look ahead and how useful roadmapping exercises are to the industry.

 

Including:

Jon Caine, Technical Director for AVL in the UK

Claire Spooner, Director of Mobility at Innovate UK

Will Grocott, Head of Delivery at the National Composites Centre

Mili Naik, Technical Delivery Lead at Zenzic

 

Dr Hadi Moztarzadeh, Head of Technology Trends at the APC explains that for 2024, collectively we identified the need to introduce two system-level roadmaps, the Mobility of People (MoP) and the Mobility of Goods (MoG), to provide a holistic view of the role of automotive products in the broader transport ecosystem.

 

Listen to this episode to discover what the roadmaps cover, and who they are for. Discover the roadmaps now by visiting https://www.apcuk.co.uk/knowledge-base/roadmaps/ 

 

What happens to an EV battery when it reaches the end of its life? It's re-born!

The destiny of batteries is not landfill, but to be recycled to extract the critical minerals and go into new products.

Although in its infancy, this is an industry with an exciting future ahead of it. On reaching end-of-life, batteries can be discharged, dismantled and shredded to produce black mass, a rich source of critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese. If profitably extracted and processed, we can de-risk the UK’s battery supply chain and support the creation of a self-sustaining, globally competitive industry.

In 2022, Altilium Clean Technology, a leading company operating in this space, secured funding, delivered through our own Automotive Transformation Fund, to advance it’s game-changing, proprietary recycling technology.

Listen to this interview with Dr Christian Marston, President and COO of Altilium, about how the company is pushing ahead with its hydrometallurgical extraction technique to recover over 95% of the critical metals found in black mass.

Why did BMW choose a team of British small businesses and academics to design the next-generation of inverters for its battery electric vehicles? Energy and transport journalist David James interviews David Bock, BMW Technical Lead on the £26 million @FutureBEV project, who explains it's down to the UK's expertise in power electronics.

“If you can make the parts simpler, you reduce the cost, you improve the reliability and you make it more accessible. And that was very important in the project", he said. It marked BMW’s transition to SiC-based power electronics in its future generations of battery electric vehicle (BEV) and laid the foundation for 100kW/l inverters, significantly exceeding industry targets.

The collaborative project not only delivered from an R&D perspective, but helped strengthen the UK supply chain in this emergent technology. As part of the consortium, academic and SME partners were able to demonstrate UK R&D capabilities, which impressed the BMW team in Munich.

As a result of the project, the University of Warwick has built a world-leading testing facility for power electronics and attracted interest from other OEMs, such as JLR. Custom Interconnect, which manufactures the inverter and power module, was also able to attract new customers thanks to its involvement on the project.

The design for the inverter was created by Lyra and Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult, strengthening the supply chain for power electronics in the UK.

The project has also been a platform for graduates and interns to develop their knowledge of power electronics, helping to build up their expertise for future roles and grow the industry. @FutureBEV was a £26 million project which received £13 million in government grant funding through the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK.

What is an e-turbo? What's a turbo doing in a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain? 

Transport and energy journalist David James visits Laith Al-kazaz, Advanced Engineering Director at Cummins to learn about this technology, developed by a £20 million project to capture wasted energy and put it back into use.

Known as 'Trident', this project aimed to increase efficiency in hydrogen fuel cells through the development of an e-turbo, a vital component to help decarbonise heavy-duty vehicles.

The project has had wider impacts on Cummins’ conventional turbos, with projected savings of approximately 200 million tonnes of CO2  over the next 10 years.

Trident received £10 million in government grant funding through the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK. 

Is the UK focusing its efforts in the right areas when it comes to e-motors technology and the UK supply chain?

Strategic Trends Manager at the APC, Chris Jones, speaks to our Stakeholder Engagement Lead, Clem Silverman, to give his thoughts and to discuss some of the key trends raised in our latest value chain report on e-motors. You can read the full report here:

Electric motors: Is the UK placing its bets wisely? (apcuk.co.uk)

It’s well known that lithium is a hugely important resource for battery technology. But what is it used for? Where does it come from?

Dr. Chris Jones from the APC’s Technology Trends team is back in the booth for this episode of the Road to Net Zero to answer some of these questions.

Nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) and lithium ferrophosphate (LFP) based chemistries are expected to be the two most popular cathode chemistries for the coming decade.

NMC comprises lithium, nickel, manganese and cobalt. Aluminium can be added to improve cycle life.

LFP comprises lithium and iron phosphate, while manganese can be added to improve energy density.

Both are lithium-ion chemistries and require a source of lithium.

Lithium salts can be obtained through two primary methods: mining hard rock, such as spodumene, and extracting from subterranean brine sources.

There are opportunities to find lithium in the UK as mapped by the British Geological Survey and Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre. The government has laid out its Critical Minerals Strategy to power the green industrial revolution, but with a lack of skills and need for more investment, does the country need to make

Once extracted, lithium requires refining. China currently dominates global lithium refining capacity, but again there is potential to expand facilities in the UK and Europe.

More information and data can be found in our Q3 Demand Report Q3-2023-Quarterly-Automotive-Demand-Forecast-Report.pdf (apcuk.co.uk) and subsequent quarterly demand reports.

Ford’s vehicle transmission factory at Halewood on Merseyside is being transformed to build electric power units for future Ford all-electric passenger and commercial vehicles in Europe.

Once complete this year, the line will produce over 400,000 units per year.

The site at Halewood was competing for investment with others in Europe, but with a grant and support by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC)-managed Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) from the UK Government, Ford decided to go ahead with the transformation here.

Ford’s total investment was raised to £380 million and reinforces confidence in the UK’s capability and its electric vehicle supply chain.

The ATF was created to electrify Britain’s automotive sector and protect its competitiveness in the global market. It offers the opportunity for feasibility studies into the viability of projects for scale-up, and capital grants to help de-risk and unlock further private investment.

Listen to this report to learn how the APC and ATF supported Ford UK on its electrification journey.

It comes following a number of  collaborative R&D projects through the APC, working closely with Ford’s UK technical centre at the Ford Britain Dunton Campus in Essex. Two projects in particular – ViVID and E:PriME – played a major part in the creation of this product development centre at Halewood.

 

Find out about the Automotive Transformation Fund: https://www.apcuk.co.uk/automotive-transformation-fund/ 

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LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/advanced-propulsion-centre-uk 

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Imerys British Lithium has discovered 161 million tonnes of lithium ore in the granite beneath a Cornish clay mine, which could produce 20 kilotonnes of refined lithium per year for 30 years.

The UK Government’s Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF), managed by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), has supported a pilot processing plant at the same location.

Creating a local supply chain of critical materials for UK industry is important to meet rising demand, especially in electric vehicle battery manufacturing.  

Data from the APC’s quarterly demand report in Q3 of 2023 shows that, in the UK alone, 59 kilotonnes of lithium will be required by the automotive sector by 2030. 

The viability of this particular site has been supported by the APC’s Scale-up Readiness Validation (SuRV) and Feasibility Study competitions, funded by the Government’s ATF.

Recently, Imerys has taken an 80% stake in British Lithium, boosting the world’s first end-to-end pilot plant venture to produce sustainable battery-grade lithium in Cornwall.  

Read more about this project: https://www.apcuk.co.uk/case-studies/british-lithium-mining-critical-materials-for-ev-batteries

Find out about the Automotive Transformation Fund: https://www.apcuk.co.uk/automotive-transformation-fund/ 

Follow us on social media 
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/advanced-propulsion-centre-uk 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theapcuk

What kind of journey has the automotive sector's been on over the past decade, and why might a 'UK Tesla' be a way off yet?

The second of our two-part podcast marking our 10-year anniversary. We're joined by three automotive experts, Bob Dover, Prof. Neville Jackson, and Prof. Colin Garner who sit on the APC's board.

2023 is an incredibly special year for us. Established in 2013 to bridge the gap between industry, academia and government, our mission remains to leverage the UK’s rich legacy for innovation and entrepreneurship and support the growth of a sustainable, domestic supply chain, focused on developing net-zero technology for a rapidly evolving market.

How has the investment environment changed over the 10 years since the APC's foundation?

This is the first in a two-part podcast episode in which the APC board members have gathered round the microphones to reflect on the past decade and how things are shaping up for the future. We are joined by finance experts Charles Haswell and Geoffrey Bicknell to discuss investment in the automotive sector, and how the net zero transition presented new opportunities for investors.

2023 is an incredibly special year for us, it marks our 10th anniversary. Established in 2013 to bridge the gap between industry, academia and government, our mission remains to leverage the UK’s rich legacy for innovation and entrepreneurship and support the growth of a sustainable, domestic supply chain, focused on developing net-zero technology for a rapidly evolving market.

🔋 This is the latest Battery Value Chain Insight report from our Technology Trends team. Explained by Strategic Trends Manager Dr Chris Jones, it highlights the challenges for manufacturers and aims to help them to make smarter, more informed plans, for the future of automotive battery manufacturing in the UK. 

UK Automotive manufacturers have tough decisions to make about what type of battery chemistry they plan to use in their Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the future, impacted by changing regulations, supply chain risks, and rapidly developing adaptations in battery technology.  

In 2019 the APC launched a first of its kind battery value chain describing the process of making a lithium-ion battery. The 2019 value chain represented a single chemistry. Now, in 2023, we wanted to reflect upon the innovation in different battery technologies by providing value chains for two lithium-ion and sodium-ion chemistries

Download the report now

The Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) is well known for its role in deploying UK government grant funding for research and development and scale-up, to support the automotive industry’s transition to zero tailpipe emissions and net-zero vehicles.

But we at the APC are not just about funding, we’re as much about the connections and collaborations we foster to really add value.

One such example is the success story of an SME from Belfast.

Ionic Technologies, a 2014 spinout company from Queens University Belfast (formally known as Seren), has developed new techniques to recycle permanent magnets using a ‘revolutionary’ process

It has received support through our Technology Developer Accelerator Programme (TDAP) and Scale-up Readiness Validation (SuRV) competition.

Energy and transport journalist David James visited Belfast and met with Managing Director Thomas Kelly to explain where this company sits in the automotive supply chain, and what the potential benefits from recycling magnets could be.

Visit our website to read the full story on Ionic Technologies, including its latest project with Ford, Less Common Metals, and British Geological Survey to supply recycled material for new electric vehicles.

Did you know November 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Advanced Propulsion Centre? We’re planning a series of events and content leading up to our 10th birthday in November.

In early September, we hosted a session at Cenex Low Carbon Vehicle – Cenex Connected Automated Mobility Show to celebrate the achievements and milestones of the past decade, alongside our business partners and colleagues.

We invited some key stakeholders to join us in a panel discussion focused on the decade ahead and moderated by transport and energy journalist David James.

Even with the change from 2030 to 2035, the deadline is fast approaching nevertheless, how well positioned is the UK automotive sector to deal with the challenges and opportunities ahead?

Joining the discussion are:

Dr Jo Bray, Deputy Director, Automotive Unit, Department for Business and Trade

Richard Kenworthy, Managing Director, Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK)

Andy Eastlake, CEO, Zemo Partnership

Prof. Colin Garner FREng Emeritus Professor of Applied Thermodynamics, Loughborough University

Rik Adams, Innovation Delivery Director, Advanced Propulsion Centre UK

A new collaborative research and development project, led by Ford, has recently been announced as part of the APC's latest round of funding: the £16 million Fuel cell Commercial Vehicle Generation 2.0 (FCVGen2.0) project.

It aims to design, develop, and build a fleet of 8 hydrogen fuel cell powered E-Transit vans. 

Other members of the consortium include several SMEs and two other multinationals. They are Cygnet Texkimp, Cammotive and Viritech, as well as grocers Ocado and a subsidiary of energy giant BP.

Join us down in Dagenham where we're being shown round Ford’s facility there. At the moment its activity is centred around assembling engines, but with electrification that’s changing. Listen to this podcast to hear from the people involved in this exciting initiative, and what their roles are in developing this technology.

Find out more about our collaborative R&D competition by visiting our website or getting in touch with us.

Can electric vehicle batteries be repaired, recycled and reused? What solutions are available to industry?   An important collaborative research and development project aims to create a circular supply chain for electric vehicle batteries in the UK. Currently, most end-of-life battery packs are shipped outside of the UK for treatment, at significant cost. Not only is this unsustainable, but it exports valuable metals which can be recovered for future use in the UK.    The RECOVAS project, led by EMR (European Metal Recycling), will introduce a new circular supply chain for electric vehicle batteries in the UK, by developing the infrastructure to collect and recycle electric vehicles and their batteries.   One aspect of this is being developed by Autocraft Solutions Group, which has created a novel way of repairing battery packs in-situ: a modular, off-grid 'pod' system that can be taken to any location on the back of a lorry! This will help to meet consumer demands and be invaluable support to commercial EV dealers, fleets and suppliers in keeping their customers on the road.   Dr Sara Ridley, Engineering and Quality Director, speaking at last year's LCV show explains more behind the concept and how the funding from the APC has beneficial.   More information about this collaborative R&D project can be found here https://www.apcuk.co.uk/funded-projects/emr-recovas/   Keep an eye out for the opening of the next competition round for more APC funding opportunities.   The REVIVE™ MOBILE EV Battery Service centre can be deployed directly to OEM manufacturing sites or wherever there is most demand, repairing up to 2,000 battery packs a year. More info can be found here: https://autocraftsg.com/solutions/ev-solutions/revive-electric-vehicle-solutions/revive-mobile/ 

Did you get chance to read our last quarterly demand report for 2022/23, published at the end of March?

If not, make sure to listen to our Technology Trends team take you through the key talking points and highlights.

Read the Q4 2022 Automotive Industry Quarterly Demand Report: https://www.apcuk.co.uk/q4-2022-automotive-industry-demand-forecast/

With so much happening right now in the industry, our demand reports are a comprehensive and informative overview of forecasting based on current market situation and external drivers. Read all of our quarterly demand reports: https://www.apcuk.co.uk/media-type/quarterly-demand-reports/

In the fourth report of 2022/23, for the first time, we’ve included a focus on expected activity in the supply chain in 2027, as well as our standard benchmark of 2030, as this is when the Rules of Origin and the trade agreement between the UK and Europe change.

In this video the team also provide an overview of:
📈 Battery chemistry forecast
📗 Introduction of the Inflation Reduction Act
📊 Lithium supply and demand pulls
🔋 Alternative battery chemistries

Look out for our first demand report of 2023/24, coming soon, where we take a closer look at the impact the US’ Inflation Reduction Act will have on automotive manufacturing and technology investment, both in the UK and Europe.

This tractor is running on methane captured from cow slurry.

The world’s first 100% methane-powered tractor has been developed through a project that received £9.1 million in government funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC).

Running on biomethane fuel made from recovered cow dung, the tractor could help save farmers money, reduce GHG emissions and support sustainable farming of local produce. It can also advance development of a more sustainable circular economy in agriculture.

The system of capturing methane from slurry lagoons, that would otherwise enter the atmosphere as a powerful greenhouse gas, not only represents a huge saving of emissions on the farm, but also can help farmers become energy self-sufficient.

Journalist David James went to Cornwall to find out how it all works in this conversation with Andrew Dunne from CNH Industrial, the lead partner on the collaborative research and development project.

Manure-powered tractor is helping bring food from farm to fork

Read more about our collaborative research and development programmes here: Collaborative R&D (CR&D) Competitions - Advanced Propulsion Centre 

This is a very special episode that takes a deep-dive into the complex subject of power electronics.

The Advanced Propulsion Centre recently released a new 'value chain map' to breakdown the mystery of semiconductor manufacturing, which is available now to download.

https://www.apcuk.co.uk/power-electronics-value-chain-launched-to-kick-start-robust-uk-supply-chain/ 

• Availability of semiconductors already posing a problem for UK automotive OEMs 
• No UK end-to-end supply chain to meet needs of automotive manufacturing sector 
• The UK can achieve manufacturing demands if industry, finance, and government work together. 

In this podcast, technology trends consultant Bhavik Shah provides a short explainer of the report and value chain.

Then hear a live panel discussion, hosted by journalist David James in front of a small studio audience, featuring McLaren Applied, Clas-SiC Wafer Fab and Exawatt, to explain the finer details. 

Plus APC CEO Ian Constance summarises what power electronics are, and why they are important for the UK’s automotive sector.

Oxford RF has developed the world’s first 360-degree solid-state radar system. The sensors aim to reduce costs and increase reliability for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and driverless vehicles, ultimately leading to more of these on the road.

As CEO Dr Kashif Siddiq explains, there are currently too many sensors on vehicles – including cameras, radars and LiDARs. More sensors mean more cost, power consumption and more data to process which increases the latency in decision-making. For safer autonomous cars, every split-second counts, and to enable faster take-up of the technology every penny counts too.

Oxford RF’s solution will remove the need for the plethora of devices, and with no moving parts it’s said to be much more reliable as well.

In October 2022 the company joined six other SMEs as the successful innovators of Zenzic’s CAM Scale-Up programme, to verify their innovative connected autonomous mobility (CAM) solutions at pace.

In January 2023, the company completed its journey through the APC’s Technology Developer Accelerator Programme (TDAP), which provided grant funding and business mentoring to support this kind of innovation.

As a result of this and collaboration with WMG (the Warwick Manufacturing Group), Oxford RF is now exploring commercial opportunities and bringing its applications to the market.

Learn more about TDAP, or to make an application for the next wave of accelerator funding, visit https://www.apcuk.co.uk/technology-developer-accelerator-programme/