Tuesday 11 September 2018
Theresa May to pledge £106m for UK to lead in EV tech
Theresa May is set to announce a £106 million funding boost for research and development in green vehicles, batteries and refuelling technologies.
The prime minister is due to make the pledge at the UK’s first ever Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Summit in Birmingham today as part of her plans to put the country at the forefront of design and manufacturing of zero emission vehicles.
Mrs May will also host an automotive roundtable with supply chain companies from Germany, US, Japan, China, Spain and India to explore what more the government and industry can do together to accelerate the development of the zero-emission market and highlight the UK’s strong offer.
A new international ‘Birmingham Declaration’ that aims to forge the way for the worldwide deployment of green vehicles and the introduction of smart infrastructure is to be signed by 11 countries, with more nations to follow.
They include Belarus, Denmark, France, Indonesia, Italy, Portugal and the United Arab Emirates.
The industry is also announcing an investment of more than £500 million in projects relating to low emission technology, which is expected to create 1,000 jobs across the UK.
Mrs May is expected to say: “I want to see Britain, once again, leading from the front and working with industries and countries around the world to spearhead change. That is why I have set this country an ambitious mission. To put the UK at the forefront of the design and manufacturing of zero-emission vehicles and for all new cars and vans to be, effectively, zero-emission by 2040.
“Today we have provided over £100 million of funding for innovators in ultra-low emission vehicles and hydrogen technology with a further £500 million of investment from key industries in this sector.”
The government has also announced £2 million of funding for electric delivery bikes and is proposing to give green number plates to clean cars, vans and taxis under new plans to promote awareness of ultra-low emission vehicles.
