Is your concept at the required TRL and MRL levels for the Advanced Propulsion Centre £100 million funding competition?

The Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) currently has a competition open inviting bids to access up to £100 million of funding, relating to concept ideas that have been developed to Automotive Technology Readiness Level 6 and Manufacturing Readiness Level 4 – so do you have a concept at the required level?

Automotive TRLs and MRLs aim to communicate accomplished or expected stages of technology development and readiness for manufacture, and so help with technology commercialisation, development work with new partners, planning supplier engagement and bringing new capabilities to market, through common understanding. Readiness levels provide common terms to define technology from concept to commercial production and through to disposal, and have a proven effectiveness from the aerospace and defence sectors. Independently, readiness levels can also assist with self-assessment, monitoring progress and planning goals and actions.

Technology Readiness and Manufacturing Readiness Levels are staggered, since advancing technological capability logically progresses ahead of manufacture. These are the TRL and MRLs that are ideal for a project with the APC:

Automotive Technology Readiness Level 6:

• A model or prototype of the technology system or subsystem has been demonstrated as part of a vehicle that can simulate and validate all system specifications within a test house, test track or similar operational environment.

• Performance results validate the technology’s viability for a specific vehicle class.

Automotive Manufacturing Readiness Level 4:

• Capability exists to produce the technology in a laboratory or prototype environment.

• Series production requirements, such as in manufacturing technology development, have been identified.

• Processes to ensure manufacturability, producibility and quality are in place and are sufficient to produce demonstrators.

• Manufacturing risks have been identified for prototype build.

• Cost drivers have been confirmed.

• Design concepts have been optimised for production.

• APQP processes have been scoped and are initiated.

If you have an idea for a concept for a propulsion system that is at TRL 6/MRL 4 and that has the potential to significantly lower emissions, then get in touch with the APC.