UK Low Carbon Technology Gets a Nice £24 Million Boost

The transport secretary, Philip Hammond, has just recently announced a 24 million pound grant that will be given to six manufacturers to develop low carbon vehicles. Winners of the Technology Strategy Board’s Low Carbon Vehicle Innovation Platform, include Nissan, Land Rover and Jaguar.

These manufactures were recognized for their innovative solution in developing hybrid technologies and lower emissions engines. Since this is what the UK was looking for, these manufactures have, of course, been award with the grant.

Mr Hammond, when speaking at the Cenex Low Carbon Vesicles event, said that people are not going to give up the liberty provided by the car lightly. Thus, more must be done to make vehicles more energy efficient so people do not have to give them up.

Hammond also noted that this move to a low carbon transport engine is just as significant as the shift a century ago from horses to the combustion engine. The Plugged in Place scheme, which encourages an electric charging point infrastructure in cities, and the Plug in Car Giant, which provides about 5,000 pounds towards the cost of a new green car, were also confirmed for next year.

However, right now the level of funding that the Plugged in Places scheme will get has not yet been announced. This is because the scheme is currently under the October’s spending review. Hopefully not too much will be cut from the scheme so that more places can be made for people to plug in their electric cars around town. This scheme could, of course, encourage people to make the switch from gas cars to electric cars.