£88m of funding will back 46 UK EV technology projects

17 September 2024  

As part of the £11m Pulse project, led by Protean Electric, Unipart is developing power electronics manufacturing capabilities

Advanced electric motor and inverter technologies are set to benefit from £88m of joint funding that the UK government has announced for 46 projects designed to boost zero-emission vehicle technologies, create thousands of skilled green jobs, and deliver long-term growth for the UK economy.

The government is providing £44.5m of investment for the projects, with a further £43.5m coming from industry. Among other things, the projects will work on electric trucks for the NHS and Royal Mail, electric motorcycles, and wireless charging technologies.

The government says it has a mission to create a strong, stable and pro-business economy, with the UK remaining an attractive destination for investment for the automotive industry.

The funding initiative comes as the Faraday Institution has published a report that predicts that, by 2030, the UK will need around 110GWh of annual battery capacity – the equivalent of six gigafactories – and estimates that the EV and battery industry could support 270,000 jobs by 2040.

One of the chosen projects is a £11m initiative, led by the led by the in-wheel motor developer Protean Electric, that brings together five industrial partners, together with Coventry University and the Warwick Manufacturing Group, to industrialise the assembly and manufacture of inverters and converters. The Pulse (Power electronics Upscale for Localisation and Sustainable Electrification) project aims to accelerate the development and industrialisation of in-wheel motors and fuel cells.

One of the project’s partners, Unipart, will establish a flexible power electronics manufacturing capability in Coventry to support the development and production of high-power DC-to-DC converters and inverters, using advanced vision systems, flow management, and end-of-line testing to enhance efficiency and quality. The project is expected to create or safeguard 159 jobs in the UK and to save 1.2million tonnes of CO₂ every year by 2030.

Other organisations to benefit from the new funding include:

• Microchip Technology Caldicot, which is developing high-efficiency power modules for next-generation inverter systems, and addressing gaps in the UK’s power electronics supply chain;

• Ram Innovations, which will demonstrate high-efficiency power electronics systems and sub-systems that use GaN (gallium nitride) devices with enhanced thermal performance;

• Magtec, which is prototyping next-generation drivelines for electric trucks to be trialled by NHS Wales and Royal Mail;

• Electric Green, which is developing smart wireless technologies for charging EVs without needing to plug in cables;

• Muon Tech, which is marketing an integrated electric drive and vehicle control system designed to fit in tight packaging volumes, with high levels of functional safety, reliability and functionality;

• Equipmake, which is creating a “daisy chain” energy management system for battery-electric fire engines; and

• Flit, which is developing lightweight folding electric bikes for urban commuters that “even people who don’t ride bikes will want”.

Sarah Jones, the minister for industry and decarbonisation, says: “Labour is committed to boosting the jewel in the crown of our manufacturing base – the automotive industry. Working in partnership with industry this funding will drive innovation and propel the development of next-generation zero-emission vehicle technologies.

“From Royal Mail trucks delivering our post, to cleaner, greener bus journeys, this funding will back projects that will lower emissions across the country, while also supporting skilled jobs,” she adds.