Tag: Electric Vehicles

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Lucy Winskell OBE, Chair of the North East LEP, responds to the announcement Nissan plans to invest up to £3bn in electric vehicle production in Sunderland

“Today’s announcement from Nissan reinforces the company’s commitment to the North East, and signals a new future for car manufacturing in our region.

“Not only will it protect thousands of existing jobs at its world leading manufacturing plant, it paves the way for more and better jobs as the company accelerates its transition to full electrification by 2030. Nissan’s commitment to manufacture future electric versions of the Qashqai, JUKE, and LEAF models follows a £1bn investment by Nissan and its partners to build a new electric vehicle hub – EV36Zero – which will create a world-first EV manufacturing ecosystem in Sunderland.

“The automotive sector in the North East, and the wider advanced manufacturing industry that supports it, is key to the future success of our region’s economy. Thanks to the adoption of new smart technology across the sector, we’re creating a workforce that is equipped with the skills needed for the jobs of the future. That’s helping to attract investment into the North East and position the region as one of the world’s leading hubs for green energy and advanced manufacturing. 

“As a pioneer in electric vehicles, Nissan’s continued investment in the North East means we can capitalise on the huge economic opportunities provided by the transition to electrification. It also means as a region, we can play a leading role in government’s ambition to reach net zero by 2050.”

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North East LEP investment aims to grow region’s battery sector

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership has awarded more than £90k through its Project Development Accelerator Fund to expand the work of a new partnership aimed at growing the North East’s battery sector.

The North East Battery Alliance (NEBA), which is led by Newcastle University, aims to build on the North East’s existing strengths in electrification, automotive, and advanced manufacturing to raise awareness of the North East as a leading hub for the battery industry and attract further inward investment.

NEBA will create an ecosystem in the region that includes research and innovation centres, education and skills organisations, the public sector, battery cell manufacturers, and the associated supply chain, to stimulate further growth in the sector.

The North East’s reputation as a burgeoning centre of battery research, innovation, skills and production led to the Faraday Institution opening a regional office in Newcastle upon Tyne (FINE – Faraday Institution North East) in 2021.

NEBA was created in response to the ongoing expansion of the North East’s battery sector, which will include Britishvolt’s lithium-ion gigaplant facility in Northumberland, and Envision-AESC’s gigafactory on the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP) in Sunderland / South Tyneside.

The North East’s five universities (Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside) are collaborating to form work groups reviewing all aspects of battery production – from raw materials to recycling, to strengthen the region’s research offering in this space.

Professor Colin Herron CBE from NEBA, Newcastle University and the Faraday Institution North East (FINE), said: “The creation of a North East Battery Alliance is another important step in making North East England an internationally recognised centre for batteries, from mining to recycling, business support, research and skills. This announcement builds upon the recent decision of the Faraday Institution to locate its first regional office in Newcastle University. All the region’s universities together with CPI and the battery industry have a once in a generation opportunity to deliver a truly transformational activity for the region, supported by the North East LEP.”

Andrew Moffat CBE, Chair of the Investment Board at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The UK has a legally binding target to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Expanding green and sustainable sources of energy is a key part of government’s net zero strategy.

“The North East is one of the leading destinations in the world for advancements in clean energy, and because of this our region has a significant role to play in delivering the UK’s net zero target.

“The NEBA will support the creation of more green jobs in the region and attract further investment in our energy sector. It will help build regional capacity and capability in every stage of the battery making process, from technological research right through to manufacturing supply chains.”

The initial funding awarded from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership will be used to design and develop plans for a dedicated NEBA office in the region, which will lead to the creation of new cutting-edge battery research facilities in the North East.

NEBA is a collaborative partnership comprising the deep tech innovation organisation the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), Northumbria University, Durham University, Teesside University and Sunderland University. It also plans to establish links with other regional and national universities; training providers; The Catapult Network; the Faraday Institution; Driving the Electric Revolution; Innovate UK; UK Research and Innovation; and regional bodies such as the North East Automotive Alliance.

Tony Jackson, Director of Formulation at CPI said; ‘’We’re excited to be supporting the UK battery ecosystem to improve battery sustainability, performance, and longevity from optimising raw materials, to supporting reuse and recyclability. Using our high-tech facilities and research expertise we can identify healthier, more sustainable chemicals and higher-performing formulations to boost battery efficiency and reduce the impact on the environment. This funding for the North East Battery Alliance will position the North East a leader in green battery technology and bring the UK one step closer to critical net zero targets.’’

Professor Pam Thomas, CEO, Faraday Institution, said: “This is another positive move to further integrate the region’s battery ecosystem to clear the path from the research bench to innovation and commercial manufacture so that the UK can prosper in this energy transformation.”

Read more about the North East’s Energy for Growth strategy.

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Electric vehicle challenge for North East businesses

As part of the Go Ultra Low North East campaign, The Electric Vehicle Innovation Accelerator is a new programme aimed at identifying and developing ways to overcome barriers that are preventing the adoption of electric vehicles.

The North East LEP’s Energy Programme Lead, Andrew Clark, will be part of the panel of industry experts tasked with selecting the strongest ideas aimed at increasing the uptake of electric vehicles.

North East businesses are being invited to apply for this new accelerator programme which is all about generating new ideas around increasing the take-up of electric vehicles.

We know that some of the barriers to the use of electric vehicles include the cost and complexity of installing the necessary charging infrastructure, as well as the practicalities around temperature controlled vehicles, and it is these specific challenges that the programme will aim to address.

Businesses of all sizes and operating in any sector are invited to apply to the accelerator programme, and those who are successful will receive intensive business support and the opportunity to win a £20,000 grant to help bring their idea to market.

What’s exciting about this programme is that it’s an area where two strands of our regional expertise come together: energy and transport. The North East has strengths in both these sectors and it’s an opportunity for us to explore what can come out of cross-sector innovation. For that reason, we’d particularly love to hear from businesses operating in the electrical, construction, manufacturing and architecture sectors, and related fields, as well as those in the electric vehicle arena.

We’re a region which excels when it comes to innovating and demonstrating new technologies which can help us make the transition to a low-carbon economy, including those at the intersection between transport and energy.

The shift to low emission transport and electric vehicles is a focus of national energy policy, and it’s an area where the North East has leading expertise and can really make a difference, as well as being an opportunity to create more and better jobs through our growing energy and automotive sectors.

Electric vehicles are a part of all our futures and they’re an important part of the future economy of the North East too. I’m looking forward to working with my fellow panel members from the Innovation SuperNetwork, Zero Carbon Futures, Newcastle University and Northstar Ventures to select the ideas which have the most commercial potential and relevance to the challenge and which have the capacity to help us build our economy, strengthen our communities, and bring more and better jobs to the North East.

Andrew Clark, Energy Programme Lead, North East LEP.

The Electric Vehicle Innovation Accelerator is being delivered by the Innovation SuperNetwork and ENGIE. Businesses interested in finding out more are invited to attend a workshop on Monday 25 March at the Urban Sciences Building at Newcastle Helix to launch the first wave of challenges and introduce the programme.

Applications for the full programme will open following the launch event. Sign up for the workshop. 

 

 

Home / Electric Vehicles

In conversation with Innovation Board Member, Dr Colin Herron from electric vehicle consultancy Zero Carbon Futures

The future is electric and the North East is in pole position to take the lead

The widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EV) is something that the North East has been gearing up to for the last six years and it is recognised as one of the North East LEP’s smart spec areas. Since 2013, the manufacture of the all-electric Nissan LEAF has been happening here in Sunderland and many companies, including ourselves, have been working on projects, research and product development surrounding the emergence of this technology.

Change is certainly coming. Latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that electric car sales in the UK are rising at a dramatic rate. There are now on average around 2,400 electric cars registered each month which represents just over 1% of the total new car market.

However, I would argue that we’re nowhere near there yet. The driving range of the current electric vehicles on the market is currently good but not good enough. I have driven 20,000 miles in my Nissan LEAF so I can speak from experience when I say that we need more powerful batteries and faster charging. What I really want is to be able to drive 150 miles on one charge and for a charge to take around 10 minutes. That will be the game changer for electric vehicle sales.

It was therefore a significant announcement made by Nissan at the start of this year that they would be investing in the production of the future generation of electric vehicle batteries at its Sunderland plant. This commitment signals Nissan’s vision for zero-emission motoring and is also great news for the region – safeguarding 300 highly-skilled jobs in manufacturing, maintenance and engineering.

It’s also good for the electric vehicle industry in the region. At the same time, Nissan also announced a new project, supported by the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre, which will team the company with partners including Zero Carbon Futures, Hyperdrive Innovation and Newcastle University to work on battery development projects. This project will keep help our expertise to grow.

Of course with more powerful batteries comes the need for increased charging capacity. Charge points are going to need to get better and faster. So this announcement links with another coup for the region. In January, it was announced that the North East Combined Authority has been awarded £1.5 million from the Government’s ‘Go Ultra Low’ programme. The funding will help the region develop the next generation of charging facilities in the shape of new electric vehicle filling stations. The stations, which will be situated on the Science Central development in Newcastle and on the A19 on the outskirts of Sunderland, will echo a conventional fuel station in image incorporating 6 – 8 rapid charge points and perhaps even café facilities making filling up with electricity an acceptable norm. This filling station model will be a first for the UK and it will be something that other cities will be watching with interest.

Having worked in the automotive sector for the last 40 years, there’s never been a more exciting time than now. It’s great that the North East has proven itself to be a forerunner in electric vehicles and these announcements will make sure that we stay ahead of the game when it comes to future developments.

Dr Colin Herron is a member of the North East LEP Innovation Board and managing director of electric vehicle consultancy Zero Carbon Futures