Protean Electric-led consortium awarded £5.5m grant to accelerate IWM development
A consortium led by Surrey-based Protean Electric a world-leading developer of in-wheel motors (IWM), has secured a £5.5 million Collaborative Research and Development grant from the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC). The funding was announced by Sarah Jones, Minister of State at both the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and the Department for Business and Trade, during a tour of Protean’s Farnham-based headquarters.
The project, named PULSE (Power electronics Upscale for Localisation and Sustainable Electrification), will be led by Protean and will advance its in-wheel motors technology and, in conjunction with Unipart Manufacturing, amongst other consortium members, will deliver a dedicated make-like-production pilot line for power electronics systems used by IWM and other net-zero products.
The project, led by Protean Electric, brings together five industrial partners and two leading universities - Coventry University and Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG)at the University of Warwick - to industrialise the assembly and manufacture of inverters and converters in the UK.
Unipart will establish a flexible power electronics manufacturing capability at its Beresford Avenue manufacturing site in Coventry.
The new facility will support the development and production of high-power DCDC converters and inverters, leveraging advanced vision systems, flow management and end-of-line testing to enhance efficiency and quality.
By 2030, this project will create or safeguard 159 jobs in the UK and, importantly, will save 1.2million tonnes of CO2every year.
Sarah Jones, Minister of State at both the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and the Department for Business and Trade, said, “Labour is committed to boosting the jewel in the crown of our manufacturing base – the automotive industry. Working in partnership with industry this fund will drive innovation and propel the development of next generation zero emission vehicle technologies.”
Andrew Whitehead, Chief Executive Officer of Protean Electric, said, “We are thrilled that project PULSE has been selected by the APC and the new Government, as it supports Protean to continue to lead electric vehicle innovation from our UK development centre. Protean’s state-of-the-art in-wheel motors are a key solution to improve range, user experience and most importantly affordability of electric vehicles. We were delighted to welcome Minister Jones yesterday and would like to thank her for the new Government’s continued commitment towards net-zero, and look forward to engaging further on these topics in the future.”
Andy Davis, Business Development Director of Unipart Manufacturing, said: ""By collaborating with Protean, Viritech, and our academic partners, we're not just expanding our capabilities, we're also playing a crucial role in establishing a sustainable and resilient domestic supply chain for power electronics.”
Carol Rose Burke, Managing Director of Unipart Manufacturing, added: "This project is testament to the strength of domestic manufacturing and our ability to respond to industry challenges with innovative solutions."
The collaboration builds on sensor technology from Transense and recycling processes from Hypromag, and will further improve efficiency and sustainability through industrialising best-in-class research from Coventry University and Warwick Manufacturing Group.
