Case Studies

Hear from Minister for Industry Chris McDonald MP on how DRIVE35 and CAM Pathfinder programmes support innovation, attract global investment, and protect high-value manufacturing jobs in the automotive and mobility sectors across the UK.

The Leyland Trucks factory is now capable of producing 30 battery electric trucks every day. This is the result of ZETTA, a £5.1 million project with a £2.6 million government grant funded through the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), and developed by a consortium of Leyland Trucks, Expert Technologies Group and HSSMI.

Currently, the UK and Europe lack an indigenous lithium supply, making domestic production strategically vital. The UK government’s Critical Minerals Strategy targets 50,000 tonnes of lithium annually by 2035. Cornish Lithium aims to contribute significantly, projecting 20,000 tonnes per year from 2029 onward.

Project Brunel, a collaborative project led by Cummins and supported by PHINIA, Johnson Matthey Plc and Zircotec Limited, was designed to accelerate hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engine (H2-ICE) development in the UK.

Project e-Motif, a collaborative R&D project led by Shield Engineering and supported by EMPEL Systems, PUNCH Flybrid and PFS Manufacturing, was designed to anchor high-tech, low-carbon automotive technology in the UK, through development and manufacturing capabilities. The project had a total value of £11.2 million, with £5.6 million funded through the APC.

Led by Motion Applied (formerly McLaren Applied), the ESCAPE project has brought together a consortium of twelve partners representing universities, research organisations, SMEs, manufacturers and Tier 1 automotive suppliers to develop an end-to-end supply chain for silicon carbide (SiC) production, specifically targeting the high-performance sector.

Led by EMR, this collaborative R&D project was set up to build a new circular supply chain for electric vehicle (EV) batteries in the UK, by developing the infrastructure to collect and recycle EVs and their batteries.

Brill Power, a supplier of a world-leading battery intelligence platform, turned its breakthrough battery intelligence technology into a multimillion-pound business with support from the Technology Developer Accelerator Programme (TDAP). Hear how automotive industry insights, funding, and strategic guidance helped them move from lab research to real-world application.

Monolith AI, an AI software company, was a participant in the Technology Developer Accelerator Programme (TDAP), helping them to develop a solution specifically for the automotive industry whilst benefitting from grant funding, mentoring and networking opportunities.

About:Energy, a university spinout founded in 2022, transformed from a research-driven start-up into a market-ready battery design software business through support from the Technology Developer Accelerator Programme.