Experts at Loughborough University are to lead a £3.5
million project to bring environmentally-friendly vehicles one step
closer to an everyday reality.
The Fundamental Understanding of Technologies for Ultra Reduced
Emissions Vehicles (FUTURE) consortium will examine the interaction
of components and control systems for electric and hybrid electric
vehicles (HEVs).
The consortium's work will develop a set of guidelines and tools
to enable design engineers to better understand how components,
such as fuel cells, power electronics and control systems of HEVs
perform together.
The project consists of six work packages. Two of them are led
by Professor Rob Thring and Professor Qing-Chang Zhong, both from
Loughborough University, and the other four are led by academics
from Imperial, Oxford, Coventry and Cranfield Universities.
The Principal Investigator, Professor Rob Thring of Loughborough
University, said: "This important research represents a step
forward in the journey towards sustainable transport.
"Loughborough is proud of its expertise in the leadership of
consortia and co-operation with industry and we look forward to
working with respected colleagues from our partner universities on
this exciting project.''
FUTURE is being made possible with funding from the Engineering
and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and is one of three
major projects which will address fundamental research questions in
developing low carbon vehicles.
Funding for the three projects totals £10 million.
The projects have been developed by EPSRC with the Technology
Strategy Board (TSB) through the Low Carbon Vehicle Innovation
Platform Integrated Delivery Programme.
They were announced by Business Minister Mark Prisk at the
opening of a new exhibition at the Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills (BIS) to showcase UK manufactured low carbon
vehicles.
Among the vehicles on show at the exhibition was a hydrogen fuel
cell taxi produced by Intelligent Energy.
The company, which was originally a spin-out - born of research
from Loughborough University - joined forces with Lotus
Engineering, LTI Vehicles and TRW Conekt to produce the
ground-breaking vehicle.