The government has launched a new electric vehicle innovation competition, pledging £20 million to promote research into EV technology and smooth the UK’s transition to a greener future.
The Transitioning to Zero Emissions Vehicles initiative, launched today, encourages submissions of “promising electric vehicle technology innovations”, with the winners eligible for a share of the Office for Low Emission Vehicle’s (OLEV’s) zero-emissions research pot - totalling £18m.
A further £2m has been pledged by the government to support innovation from small businesses and organisations through the Niche Vehicle Network, an independent association of more than 900 niche vehicle manufacturers and engineering companies, promoting research into low-carbon technology.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: “The funding announced today will help harness some of the brightest talent in the UK tech industry, encouraging businesses to become global leaders in EV innovation, creating jobs and accelerating us towards our net-zero ambitions.”
Announced in 2017, a large chunk of the OLEV pot has already been allocated to various projects. In February that year, the government invested more than £1.3m in hydrogen conversion firm Ulemco to develop a hydrogen-powered ambulance, which will arrive on London’s streets later this year.
Other recipients of OLEV funding include the tech start-up Urban Foresight, which was awarded £3m to develop pop-up EV chargers that rise out of the pavement and provide a low-cost solution to EV owners without off-street parking.
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Governments have persuaded billions of gullible Muppets to accept loss of their wealth, livelihood and freedoms in order to fight a 'pandemic' which is little worse than a bad flu season.
Any guesses as to their next objectives?
£20m is a drop in the ocean compared with the billions being spent by Govt's in other industrial countries to support the development of new battery technology and production. Sadly and inexplicitly the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has just announced that they are going to disband the Industrial Strategy arm of the Dept because the new Secretary of State (who by the way has no business experience having come from an academic background) believes in business competition and entrepreneurship deciding on which industries to back.
£20m is a drop in the ocean compared with the billions being spent by Govt's in other industrial countries to support the development of new battery technology and production. Sadly and inexplicitly the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has just announced that they are going to disband the Industrial Strategy arm of the Dept because the new Secretary of State (who by the way has no business experience having come from an academic background) believes in business competition and entrepreneurship deciding on which industries to back.