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Low carbon vehicle programme launched in the region

An innovative £100m programme to research and develop low carbon vehicles was launched yesterday by local and national Government.

John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, launched the Low Carbon Vehicle Integrated Regional Delivery Programme with One North East announcing it will be a key partner in its development.

Speaking at the agency’s Annual Review Meeting at The Sage Gateshead, One North East Chairman Margaret Fay said the programme would: “see us building on our automotive assets and harnessing the expertise in our universities to put the North East and the UK at the forefront of global green vehicle production.”

Co-ordinating the UK’s low carbon vehicle activity from initial research through collaborative research and development, the programme will lead to the production of demonstration vehicles.

The Technology Strategy Board will manage the five-year programme, which will be guided by an industry-led advisory panel.

Mr Denham said: “This is great for the North East because the region has major automotive, components, materials, petrochemical and fuel industries, including Nissan as the largest car manufacturer in the UK, their supply chain, Caterpillar and the largest fuel production industry.

“This work will help to secure the long-term future of the British car industry, the people who work in it and the places whose wider economies hinge on attracting international R and D and proving their capacity to add value.”

The research in the region will be carried out by the CPI Group on behalf of One North East.

A key goal of the programme, for which funding will be available from April 2009, is to integrate university and industry research and development activity to accelerate the exploitation of more radical approaches to decarbonising road vehicles.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .