Automotive Exports June 2022

£1.8m to small
businesses set to
revolutionize the
electric vehicle
market
Small to medium businesses (SMEs)
specializing in clean, green technology have
won a share of £1.8m from the Advanced
Propulsion Centre (APC) to help the global
race to decarbonise transport.
The 13 innovative businesses will each
receive £135,000 support through APC’s
Technology Developer Acceleration
Programme (TDAP), to drive the marketreadiness
of their next-generation
technology, as the UK’s ban on the sale of
new petrol and diesel engines grows closer.
From magneto-electrochemical systems
that enable batteries to be charged fourtimes
faster than current averages, to
creating green hydrogen from ammonia,
from dramatically redesigning commercial
vehicles so they can carry more stock for
longer periods, to technology that stops
harmful tyre particles from polluting the
world’s oceans, the range of bleeding-edge
technology being supported is immense.
Josh Denne, APC’s Head of SME
programmes, said: “Some of the
technology being developed by these
companies is so ‘next-generation’ it
almost feels like something out of a scifi
movie. However, these are credible,
tangible technology concepts, some of
which are already attracting the attention
of household names in the automotive
industry.
“Applications for this cohort of our SME
accelerator programme have been the
highest we have ever received, reflecting
the opportunity within the automotive
sector and the appetite for this type of
support.
“We have a huge challenge to overcome
to make the movement of people and
goods sustainable, and it’s no surprise that
we’ve seen a larger than usual spread of
technology focussed on HGVs, perhaps
reflecting that this difficult to decarbonise
transport is fast becoming in urgent need
of solutions to lower emissions.”
TDAP isn’t just about grant funding, the
programme also supports companies to
build a robust business plan, protect their
intellectual property and understand the
investor landscape. Previous TDAP alumni
say this, together with the networking and
collaboration opportunity, is where the real
value of the programme lies.
And the results are there to see. APC
analysis shows that in total, since
completing the programme, TDAP alumni
have raised over £127m of private
investment, 61% of that coming in 2021
– demonstrating the significant growth in
green investment over the past 18 months.
Examples include Romsey-based Ilika, from
last year’s TDAP scheme, who are now
partnering with Comau (a subsidiary of cargiant
Stellantis who also own names like
Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Fiat, Jeep,
Peugeot and Vauxhall) to industrialise their
solid-state battery production.
Josh added: “Our ambition for TDAP is
to see these great ideas grow into nextgeneration
products, ultimately leading to
more to CO2 savings, more jobs created
and contributing to the push towards net
zero as the UK cements itself as a leader in
innovative propulsion technology.”
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