The LowCVP launches ‘Technology Challenge’ to accelerate low carbon vehicle innovation
Mon 08 June 2009
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The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership is launching a Technology Challenge to provide a platform for promising innovations to be showcased to senior managers and directors of the component and vehicle manufacturers. The LowCVP is calling on UK innovators to submit creative concepts with the potential to cut emissions from road vehicles without the need for radical new infrastructure.
The LowCVP Technology Challenge is supported by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and with an associated media partner, Cleantech Investor. The Challenge is being announced at the Partnership’s annual conference, to be attended by 200 delegates, at London’s City Hall today.
With new targets for car CO2 emissions and tough penalties for manufacturers which don’t comply there is urgent need for cost-effective solutions that make vehicles radically more efficient. Vehicles producing less than 80g CO2/km from mainstream passenger cars, the target of the Challenge, will be a major step towards a more sustainable future transport.
Market access and investment funding are key barriers for automotive technology companies. The Technology Challenge is designed to address these challenges by identifying the most promising innovations and who will receive assistance to progress their concept and in pitching this to an ‘Innovation Executive’, an audience of leading directors and technical experts from the automotive industry assembled by the LowCVP. A parallel activity will promote their investment potential.
The LowCVP Chair, Professor Neville Jackson, Group Technology Director of Ricardo said: “The LowCVP has identified that the networking of ideas is fundamental to successful innovation. Helping to connect small and emerging technology-based companies with the right people higher in the automotive supply chain could produce substantial benefits”.
“The Technology Challenge has been developed to facilitate this connection, to raise awareness and to catalyse potential new partnerships”.
The first Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership Technology Challenge is seeking innovative concepts that could make a significant contribution to improving vehicle efficiency without the need for radical new infrastructure. Examples of potential areas for innovation are, but not limited to:
• advanced combustion
• emissions cleanup
• aerodynamics
• new or advanced powertrains
• energy storage, and; lightweight materials.
Jon Hilton, Chair of IMechE’s Automobile Division said: "We have a strong foundation of engineering excellence in the UK and a long track record of innovation. The development of new low carbon technologies presents an ideal opportunity for the UK to lead the way and will possibly be a turning point for the car as we know it. The Technology Challenge will bring together those seeking innovative solutions and those developing them and will help to reinforce the UK's leadership and strength in engineering."
The best innovations will also be promoted by LowCVP via the Technology Challenge website (as below) with regular updates on the challenge featured in other LowCVP media.
The Technology Challenge culminates in an awards ceremony and dinner with colleagues from the low carbon vehicles sector. It is open for applications which will close on 7th September 2009
For further information visit: http://www.lowcvp.org.uk/technologychallenge or follow the associated link.
For the full LowCVP press release, please follow the associated link.
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