Four projects that aim to drive uptake of zero-emission vehicles have been awarded government funding. The cash comes from the Department for Transport’s £20 million zero emission innovation fund.
The projects have received funding in the latest round. These are a device that provides battery health data for used EVs, a battery that boosts charging power during peak times, a zero-emission ambulance and a solar-powered fridge for commercial vehicles.
In total, 62 projects have been funded through the scheme so far. The Department for Transport said projects funded ‘could unlock some of the biggest barriers to EV ownership by providing ground-breaking solutions to battery health and charging for both urban and rural areas’.
One of the winners in the latest round is the BEVscan project, led by Agile Charging to develop a plug-in device for EVs that records battery health. The aim is to improve the experience of buying second-hand electric vehicles. The founders of Agile Charging – which is also developing a portable EV charger – created E-Car Club, a car-sharing scheme that was sold to Europcar in 2015.
‘Making electric vehicles more attractive’
The second winner is the Chilled OX project to develop a solar-powered refrigeration unit for small commercial vehicles. This is claimed to offer a 37 percent increase in battery range.
The third project to get funding is the hydrogen-powered Specialist Health Vehicle being developed by HV Systems Limited. It will build a zero-emission ambulance with a hydrogen range extender system, which aims to ‘overcome the limitations of existing ICE vehicle conversions’.
The final project, called Rural Grid Boosting, will develop a kinetic battery to provide a temporary power boost for ultra-fast EV charging during times of peak demand in rural areas.
“Ahead of the major climate summit COP26 this year, investment in exciting projects such as these is key to making the switch to electric vehicles more attractive for drivers than ever before,” said Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps.
“Not only will they propel us further towards our net-zero ambitions, they will also help harness some of the brightest talent in the UK tech industry, encouraging businesses to become global leaders in EV innovation and creating jobs as we build back better.”
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