As part of the UK Government’s £4 billion DRIVE35 programme, delivered by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) in partnership with the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) and Innovate UK, ten innovative automotive projects have been selected to receive £9 million in government funding through the DRIVE35 Demonstrate competition.
DRIVE35 supports businesses in accelerating the development, commercialisation and manufacture of next-generation zero-emission vehicle technologies. Together, the successful projects represent more than £18 million of combined government and industry investment.
Successful companies and projects include:
- Nexperia UK: ADET-MOS will demonstrate a next-generation silicon power MOSFET architecture that significantly improves energy efficiency in EV electrical systems.
- Thermulon: AEROPAD scales Thermulon’s aerogel battery-safety pad manufacturing to MRL 5, building a demonstrator mini-rig and anchoring UK ZEV supply chains.
- GreenTech Industries: AutoDMR will build the UK’s first precision automated EV battery disassembly facility; using robotics and digital tools to maximise value recovery.
- Watercycle Technologies: CAMCYCLE aims to demonstrate a new way to recycle lithium-ion batteries that offers up to 50% reductions in CO2 emissions, 70% reductions in energy consumption and 30% higher overall material recoveries.
- DeepForm: DeepForm for Trucks aims to demonstrate a novel metal-pressing technology that significantly reduces material waste, production costs and carbon emissions in the manufacture of steel truck cab components.
- Electra Commercial Vehicles: Electra Low-E will develop a demonstratable low floor BEV, removing the need for a tail lift, increasing payload volume and improving safety.
- Hyster-Yale Group: Li-ion Battery Manufacturing Optimisation for Material Handling Equipment will result in a scalable, energy‑efficient, and future‑proof manufacturing capability that secures long‑term Li-ion battery production in Craigavon and positions the site as a leader in next‑generation electrified materials‑handling solutions.
- YASA: Project Resilience seeks to demonstrate a heavy rare earth free motor, removing dysprosium/terbium from the bill of materials to improve sustainability and increase resilience to geopolitical supply chain challenges.
- Anaphite: SAVI aims to accelerate the scaling and validation of Anaphite’s proprietary Dry Coating Precursor technology, for the manufacture of dry coated LFP electrodes.
- Eatron Technologies: ZENBMS will develop an innovative 48V Battery Management System (BMS) that leverages Infineon’s next generation BMS chipset.
Ian Constance, Chief Executive at the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK, said:
“The projects announced today demonstrate the depth of innovation and engineering excellence that exists across the UK automotive sector. Through DRIVE35, we are supporting businesses to move promising technologies beyond the research phase and towards commercial deployment and manufacturing at scale. Real-world demonstrations are where innovation proves its value. These projects will generate the evidence and confidence needed to accelerate commercial adoption, helping promising technologies move from prototype to production.
