Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support the research and development of alternative methods of powering vehicles.

On the 27 November the Government set out the future of mobility as one of four grand challenges in order to put the UK at the forefront of a profound change in how we move people, goods and services around our towns, cities and countryside. The way we are powering our vehicles is changing. This is driven by extraordinary innovation in engineering, technology and business models. The Government has adopted a technology neutral stance and welcomes any innovative thinking that helps us to decarbonise road transport and reduce emissions. We are supporting fuel cell, battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, natural gas and biofuels.

The Government has strengthened the R&D framework with £500m committed over 10 years, matched by industry, to the Advanced Propulsion Centre to accelerate the development of affordable low-carbon, vehicle technologies, with a further £200m through Innovate UK to support R&D of low emission vehicles.

The Government’s Hydrogen for Transport Advancement programme is providing capital funding for early refuelling stations. £5m has been allocated to build or upgrade 12 stations to support the launch of fuel cell electric vehicles by vehicle manufacturers. This has helped secure the UK as one of five global launch markets for fuel cell electric vehicles. To support the early market for these vehicles, the Government is also providing £2m to facilitate their deployment in public and private sector fleets. In March 2017 the Government announced £23m of additional funding to increase the uptake of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and grow hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. This programme will support the development of the hydrogen for transport market until 2020.

The Faraday Battery Challenge was launched in July 2017. Government will commit £246m over 4 years into battery technology. This will ensure the UK builds on its strengths and leads the world in the design, development and manufacture of electric batteries and will be delivered via a coordinated R&D programme.