Companies urged to compete for funding in a bid to reduce freight emissions

Businesses are being urged to compete for up to £15 million of funding to develop technology to reduce harmful emissions from freight.

Road minister Jesse Norman has asked UK businesses to lead research into low-emission technology for lorries, as well as cars and vans.

The projects could see materials which make vehicles lighter, or improve the efficiency of engines or batteries.

Norman said: “We have made important progress in lowering emissions and are always looking at further ways of improving air quality.

“Lorries cause a third of the UK’s transport CO₂ emissions and simple new technologies can have the greatest impact in reducing the harmful pollutants of freight.

“This funding will give UK companies the chance to lead the world in developing important innovations to improve air quality across the country.”

The competition has been developed with Innovate UK and will help the government achieve its ambition to be a global leader in electric vehicle technology and to see all new vehicles emission-free by 2040.

The first of the projects in the government’s low emission freight and logistics trial, announced earlier this year, are now using new electric and hydrogen dual-fuel vehicles on our roads. By mid-2018, more than 300 of these low-emission vehicles will be on UK roads.

The competition is the 14th in the joint Innovate UK and OLEV integrated delivery programme and will be open for applications today.

Details of how to apply will be published on the Innovate UK website.