The London Taxi Company receives government funding towards £46.5m zero emissions project

A consortium led by the London Electric Vehicle Company has been awarded an Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) grant of £17.5m towards an R&D project for zero emissions hybrid technology.

The project is a collaboration between industry and research institutions with the consortium investing an additional £29m in developing UK content for advanced zero emissions hybrid technology. The £46.5m project will allow the London Electric Vehicle Company to develop its next generation zero emissions hybrid drivetrain technology alongside its consortium partners in Coventry. The APC project will enhance the capabilities and sustainability of the UK low-carbon supply chain and will create more than 150 jobs. The London Electric Vehicle Company aims to utilise the hybrid drivetrain technology within its new zero emissions capable product range being developed at its new facility in Ansty in the West Midlands.

Peter Johansen, CEO of the London Electric Vehicle Company, said: "The UK government’s investment in the London Electric Vehicle Company’s APC R&D project will allow us to further develop the next generation zero emissions capable powertrain. The resulting technology will be used in our future products, ensuring that we use as many UK-produced components as possible, generating jobs and value for the UK." The APC promotes collaboration between UK-based academia, automotive suppliers and OEMs to make the country a global centre of excellence for low carbon powertrain development.

The London Electric Vehicle Company has teamed up with tier one automotive supplier GKN, engineering service provider Revolve and independent research institute The High Speed Sustainable Manufacturing Institute (HSSMI). Paul Turner, Technical Director for Low Carbon Technologies at Revolve, said: "We’re delighted to be part of the London Electric Vehicle Company led APC consortium, and we’re looking forward to our role in developing innovative UK suppliers to be part of the London Electric Vehicle Company’s low carbon vehicle programme.

This project gives Revolve the ideal platform to expand its role as a leading low carbon technologies integrator in the automotive sector." Axel Bindel, Chief Technology Officer at HSSMI, said: "The project with the London Electric Vehicle Company fits perfectly with our mantra of collaborate, research, deploy. HSSMI’s combination of new knowledge and experience will accelerate the UK’s manufacturing capability to deliver value-based collaboration and research.

We look forward to our work with the London Electric Vehicle Company and its partners."