Road to Net Zero Podcast
This podcast, from the Advanced Propulsion Centre, is all about how the UK automotive industry is transitioning to net zero. In a series of interviews, we highlight key issues and developments, interesting projects and technologies emerging from one of the UK’s most innovative sectors on the road to net zero.
Episodes
3 days ago
Lithium in the UK
3 days ago
3 days ago
It’s well known that lithium is a hugely important resource for battery technology. But what is it used for? Where does it come from?
Dr. Chris Jones from the APC’s Technology Trends team is back in the booth for this episode of the Road to Net Zero to answer some of these questions.
Nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) and lithium ferrophosphate (LFP) based chemistries are expected to be the two most popular cathode chemistries for the coming decade.
NMC comprises lithium, nickel, manganese and cobalt. Aluminium can be added to improve cycle life.
LFP comprises lithium and iron phosphate, while manganese can be added to improve energy density.
Both are lithium-ion chemistries and require a source of lithium.
Lithium salts can be obtained through two primary methods: mining hard rock, such as spodumene, and extracting from subterranean brine sources.
There are opportunities to find lithium in the UK as mapped by the British Geological Survey and Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre. The government has laid out its Critical Minerals Strategy to power the green industrial revolution, but with a lack of skills and need for more investment, does the country need to make
Once extracted, lithium requires refining. China currently dominates global lithium refining capacity, but again there is potential to expand facilities in the UK and Europe.
More information and data can be found in our Q3 Demand Report Q3-2023-Quarterly-Automotive-Demand-Forecast-Report.pdf (apcuk.co.uk) and subsequent quarterly demand reports.
Wednesday Jan 24, 2024
Ford UK: Halewood transmission factory transformation
Wednesday Jan 24, 2024
Wednesday Jan 24, 2024
Ford’s vehicle transmission factory at Halewood on Merseyside is being transformed to build electric power units for future Ford all-electric passenger and commercial vehicles in Europe.
Once complete this year, the line will produce over 400,000 units per year.
The site at Halewood was competing for investment with others in Europe, but with a grant and support by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC)-managed Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) from the UK Government, Ford decided to go ahead with the transformation here.
Ford’s total investment was raised to £380 million and reinforces confidence in the UK’s capability and its electric vehicle supply chain.
The ATF was created to electrify Britain’s automotive sector and protect its competitiveness in the global market. It offers the opportunity for feasibility studies into the viability of projects for scale-up, and capital grants to help de-risk and unlock further private investment.
Listen to this report to learn how the APC and ATF supported Ford UK on its electrification journey.
It comes following a number of collaborative R&D projects through the APC, working closely with Ford’s UK technical centre at the Ford Britain Dunton Campus in Essex. Two projects in particular – ViVID and E:PriME – played a major part in the creation of this product development centre at Halewood.
Find out about the Automotive Transformation Fund: https://www.apcuk.co.uk/automotive-transformation-fund/
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LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/advanced-propulsion-centre-uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theapcuk
Wednesday Jan 17, 2024
Imerys British Lithium: mining critical materials for EV batteries in Cornwall
Wednesday Jan 17, 2024
Wednesday Jan 17, 2024
Imerys British Lithium has discovered 161 million tonnes of lithium ore in the granite beneath a Cornish clay mine, which could produce 20 kilotonnes of refined lithium per year for 30 years.
The UK Government’s Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF), managed by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), has supported a pilot processing plant at the same location.
Creating a local supply chain of critical materials for UK industry is important to meet rising demand, especially in electric vehicle battery manufacturing.
Data from the APC’s quarterly demand report in Q3 of 2023 shows that, in the UK alone, 59 kilotonnes of lithium will be required by the automotive sector by 2030.
The viability of this particular site has been supported by the APC’s Scale-up Readiness Validation (SuRV) and Feasibility Study competitions, funded by the Government’s ATF.
Recently, Imerys has taken an 80% stake in British Lithium, boosting the world’s first end-to-end pilot plant venture to produce sustainable battery-grade lithium in Cornwall.
Read more about this project: https://www.apcuk.co.uk/case-studies/british-lithium-mining-critical-materials-for-ev-batteries
Find out about the Automotive Transformation Fund: https://www.apcuk.co.uk/automotive-transformation-fund/
Follow us on social media LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/advanced-propulsion-centre-uk Twitter: https://twitter.com/theapcuk
Thursday Dec 21, 2023
APC 10-year anniversary special: The sector
Thursday Dec 21, 2023
Thursday Dec 21, 2023
What kind of journey has the automotive sector's been on over the past decade, and why might a 'UK Tesla' be a way off yet?
The second of our two-part podcast marking our 10-year anniversary. We're joined by three automotive experts, Bob Dover, Prof. Neville Jackson, and Prof. Colin Garner who sit on the APC's board.
2023 is an incredibly special year for us. Established in 2013 to bridge the gap between industry, academia and government, our mission remains to leverage the UK’s rich legacy for innovation and entrepreneurship and support the growth of a sustainable, domestic supply chain, focused on developing net-zero technology for a rapidly evolving market.
Tuesday Nov 28, 2023
APC 10-year anniversary special: Investment
Tuesday Nov 28, 2023
Tuesday Nov 28, 2023
How has the investment environment changed over the 10 years since the APC's foundation?
This is the first in a two-part podcast episode in which the APC board members have gathered round the microphones to reflect on the past decade and how things are shaping up for the future. We are joined by finance experts Charles Haswell and Geoffrey Bicknell to discuss investment in the automotive sector, and how the net zero transition presented new opportunities for investors.
2023 is an incredibly special year for us, it marks our 10th anniversary. Established in 2013 to bridge the gap between industry, academia and government, our mission remains to leverage the UK’s rich legacy for innovation and entrepreneurship and support the growth of a sustainable, domestic supply chain, focused on developing net-zero technology for a rapidly evolving market.
Thursday Nov 09, 2023
Talking chemistry: the battery value chain
Thursday Nov 09, 2023
Thursday Nov 09, 2023
🔋 This is the latest Battery Value Chain Insight report from our Technology Trends team. Explained by Strategic Trends Manager Dr Chris Jones, it highlights the challenges for manufacturers and aims to help them to make smarter, more informed plans, for the future of automotive battery manufacturing in the UK.
UK Automotive manufacturers have tough decisions to make about what type of battery chemistry they plan to use in their Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the future, impacted by changing regulations, supply chain risks, and rapidly developing adaptations in battery technology.
In 2019 the APC launched a first of its kind battery value chain describing the process of making a lithium-ion battery. The 2019 value chain represented a single chemistry. Now, in 2023, we wanted to reflect upon the innovation in different battery technologies by providing value chains for two lithium-ion and sodium-ion chemistries
Download the report now
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
Ionic Technologies: How the APC’s funding ecosystem grows businesses
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
The Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) is well known for its role in deploying UK government grant funding for research and development and scale-up, to support the automotive industry’s transition to zero tailpipe emissions and net-zero vehicles.
But we at the APC are not just about funding, we’re as much about the connections and collaborations we foster to really add value.
One such example is the success story of an SME from Belfast.
Ionic Technologies, a 2014 spinout company from Queens University Belfast (formally known as Seren), has developed new techniques to recycle permanent magnets using a ‘revolutionary’ process
It has received support through our Technology Developer Accelerator Programme (TDAP) and Scale-up Readiness Validation (SuRV) competition.
Energy and transport journalist David James visited Belfast and met with Managing Director Thomas Kelly to explain where this company sits in the automotive supply chain, and what the potential benefits from recycling magnets could be.
Visit our website to read the full story on Ionic Technologies, including its latest project with Ford, Less Common Metals, and British Geological Survey to supply recycled material for new electric vehicles.
Wednesday Sep 27, 2023
A decade of innovation: what do the next 10 years hold?
Wednesday Sep 27, 2023
Wednesday Sep 27, 2023
Did you know November 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Advanced Propulsion Centre? We’re planning a series of events and content leading up to our 10th birthday in November.
In early September, we hosted a session at Cenex Low Carbon Vehicle – Cenex Connected Automated Mobility Show to celebrate the achievements and milestones of the past decade, alongside our business partners and colleagues.
We invited some key stakeholders to join us in a panel discussion focused on the decade ahead and moderated by transport and energy journalist David James.
Even with the change from 2030 to 2035, the deadline is fast approaching nevertheless, how well positioned is the UK automotive sector to deal with the challenges and opportunities ahead?
Joining the discussion are:
Dr Jo Bray, Deputy Director, Automotive Unit, Department for Business and Trade
Richard Kenworthy, Managing Director, Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK)
Andy Eastlake, CEO, Zemo Partnership
Prof. Colin Garner FREng Emeritus Professor of Applied Thermodynamics, Loughborough University
Rik Adams, Innovation Delivery Director, Advanced Propulsion Centre UK
Thursday Jul 27, 2023
Hydrogen fuel cell Ford E-Transit van
Thursday Jul 27, 2023
Thursday Jul 27, 2023
A new collaborative research and development project, led by Ford, has recently been announced as part of the APC's latest round of funding: the £16 million Fuel cell Commercial Vehicle Generation 2.0 (FCVGen2.0) project.
It aims to design, develop, and build a fleet of 8 hydrogen fuel cell powered E-Transit vans.
Other members of the consortium include several SMEs and two other multinationals. They are Cygnet Texkimp, Cammotive and Viritech, as well as grocers Ocado and a subsidiary of energy giant BP.
Join us down in Dagenham where we're being shown round Ford’s facility there. At the moment its activity is centred around assembling engines, but with electrification that’s changing. Listen to this podcast to hear from the people involved in this exciting initiative, and what their roles are in developing this technology.
Find out more about our collaborative R&D competition by visiting our website or getting in touch with us.
Friday Jun 23, 2023
Autocraft Revive: repairing, recycling and reusing EV batteries
Friday Jun 23, 2023
Friday Jun 23, 2023
Can electric vehicle batteries be repaired, recycled and reused? What solutions are available to industry?
An important collaborative research and development project aims to create a circular supply chain for electric vehicle batteries in the UK. Currently, most end-of-life battery packs are shipped outside of the UK for treatment, at significant cost. Not only is this unsustainable, but it exports valuable metals which can be recovered for future use in the UK.
The RECOVAS project, led by EMR (European Metal Recycling), will introduce a new circular supply chain for electric vehicle batteries in the UK, by developing the infrastructure to collect and recycle electric vehicles and their batteries.
One aspect of this is being developed by Autocraft Solutions Group, which has created a novel way of repairing battery packs in-situ: a modular, off-grid 'pod' system that can be taken to any location on the back of a lorry! This will help to meet consumer demands and be invaluable support to commercial EV dealers, fleets and suppliers in keeping their customers on the road.
Dr Sara Ridley, Engineering and Quality Director, speaking at last year's LCV show explains more behind the concept and how the funding from the APC has beneficial.
More information about this collaborative R&D project can be found here https://www.apcuk.co.uk/funded-projects/emr-recovas/
Keep an eye out for the opening of the next competition round for more APC funding opportunities.
The REVIVE™ MOBILE EV Battery Service centre can be deployed directly to OEM manufacturing sites or wherever there is most demand, repairing up to 2,000 battery packs a year. More info can be found here: https://autocraftsg.com/solutions/ev-solutions/revive-electric-vehicle-solutions/revive-mobile/
About the Advanced Propulsion Centre
Accelerating Progress: We're here to help accelerate the transition to a net-zero automotive industry through funding, support and insights.
www.apcuk.co.uk