Brighton students join Sussex electric vehicle manufacturer to showcase zero-carbon transport

Students and staff from the University of Brighton will join industry leaders to demonstrate the future of electric vehicles at the 'Discover Electric: Achieving Net Zero' event in Horsham today (Friday).

The team will join other key players within the electric vehicle (EV) industry to showcase innovations being developed in Sussex and across the UK towards a net-zero future.

Hosted by the Horsham District Council with funding support from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, ‘Discover Electric: Achieving Net Zero’ will provide opportunities for hands-on test drives of a variety of electric vehicles, discussions with experts and a deep dive into the EV ecosystem.

The exhibits to be displayed are part of vehicles which have been worked on by University of Brighton students, thanks to a partnership with Sussex-based JLC EVs.

Since 2023, the partnership has allowed Brighton students from aeronautical, electrical, mechanical, and automotive engineering courses to work with and gain industry experience from the electric vehicle manufacturer.

Dr Steven Begg, Senior Lecturer at the University of Brighton’s School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering, said: “Our students tackle the big global challenges facing people and communities here in Brighton and around the world. Decarbonising transport is one of the biggest and most important of those challenges.

“University of Brighton engineering courses are unique in the amount of practical work that the students get to undertake before graduation, so that they can demonstrate both theoretical and applied skills.

 “Our state-of-the-art simulation suite for test driving concept vehicle designs and a large-scale wind tunnel for studying aerodynamic performance. The partnership with JLC EVs means we can fuse practical application and academic insights to drive forward advancements in electric vehicle technology.”

Director at JLC EV’s, Nathalie Hayes, said: “The partnership with the University of Brighton is an important step for us.  With our sponsorship of the electric vehicle lab, we are able to access cutting edge research that will support our development of the next generation of electric batteries and go a long way to improving the lifetime performance of our new electric vehicles.”

She added: “Through this partnership we are also able to work closely with the students and offer hands on experience in electric vehicle engineering, an area that will be increasingly important for them in their careers as automotive engineers and the advancement of future sustainable transport.”