Public Funding for BMW Motorsport Limited

The CirConAl project will provide the lowest embodied CO2 content aluminium alloys for the automotive industry, enabling light weighting at ultra-low embodied CO2 content of <1.0 tonne of CO2e per tonne of aluminium with, in time, a reduction to <0.5 tonnes/tonne and then to <0.2 tonnes/tonne. This will be achieved by taking a strategic approach to the aluminium scrap market in the UK, where presently most of this key resource is exported, through targeted sorting, blending and refining technologies as the main metal input to a state-of-the-art automotive billet cast house producing a new generation of highly recyclable aluminium alloys.

Project CELERITAS will develop ultra-fast charging batteries for Electric and Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicles to accelerate their market acceptance by addressing consumer concerns over range and charge time. CELERITAS will also develop the UK supply chain to allow UK battery electric-vehicle and mild-hybrid electric-vehicle manufacturers to achieve post-Brexit requirements of \>50% parts sourced from UK suppliers within 3 years. A Consortium of Sprint Power Technology Ltd, AMTE Power plc, Clas-SiC Wafer Fab Limited, Eltrium Limited, UK Lubricants (BP plc) and BMW Motorsport GmbH will deliver the £10.57 million project, £5.28 million of which will be funded through the APC.

Currently eMobility is transforming from niche to mainstream worldwide. Nearly all OEMs published their roadmaps to a more electrified portfolio. BMW-UK-BEV aims for electrified powertrain solutions enabling full replication of ICE vehicle-ranges. The Team develops a new UK supply chain for batteries addressing UK Government targets for industrial growth, generation&safeguarding jobs and transformation of industry to support zero-emission-mobility. Core deliverables * Batteries compensating ICE vehicle range * High-value Batterysystem ready for low-volume production * Lightweight performance plastic components * Environmentally friendly dielectric fluid enhancing performance * Establish a value chain * Positive outcome to UK GDP * Contribution to the transformation of industry to zero emission transport

The electric revolution is gathering pace. As more vehicles become electrified, greater volumes of batteries and battery materials are required. These batteries will eventually reach end of life and must be repurposed or recycled. Currently, the UK lacks the infrastructure to recycle the batteries and recover their materials, so vehicle manufacturers are paying thousands of pounds to ship the battery packs abroad for treatment. Not only is this unsustainable, it exports valuable metals that are vital to the future of transportation. The RECOVAS project will introduce a new circular supply chain for electric vehicle batteries in the UK by developing the infrastructure to collect and recycle electric vehicles and their batteries.

Accelerated Technologies for Future Battery Electric Vehicles (@FutureBEV) will ensure competitive powertrains in function and costs and enable UK technology transformation to zero emission mobility. Two premium automotive global companies, BMW and McLaren Applied join forces to bring together a development team to include Custom Interconnect Limited (CIL), Lyra Electronics from industry and Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult (CSAC) and University of Warwick (UoW). Together the team will develop a new UK supply chain for subcomponents and system capability for future electromobility addressing UK Government targets for industrial growth, generation and safeguarding of jobs and the transformation to zero emission mobility. This technology drives BEV from niche to mainstream. This will be delivered through two strongly interlinked workstreams addressing volume and performance. Customer oriented requirements implemented through this development provides real world benefits in improved efficiency, lower vehicle level CO2, reduced weight and better use of storage providing value add and competitive customer value to the end user. UK engineering talents and skills will be developed in harmony with the BMW Munich based background knowledge within the project to open development and manufacture opportunities for vehicle electrification within the UK. **Core goals**: * Development of EV powertrain * Development of UK content (sub-components and Inverter supplier) * Increased powertrain efficiency (reduction of CO2) * Reduced development cycle time/time to market (acceleration of CO2 benefits) **Specific development:** * Design for volume manufacture target of 2025 * High Power Charging (HPC) enabling technologies * Thermal Management and connection systems for high integration * Sensor development Revolution to 800V will significantly reduce charge times enabling HPC, accelerating end-user acceptance, and optimising the powertrain by efficiency improvements. Faster switching capability of technologies will be further developed to doubling up power density, reducing volume, cost and optimising overall vehicle powertrain integration. **Deliverables**: * Silicon Carbide (SiC) power switch with transfer for other systems (charging) * Development of UK academia * System optimisation and delivery of core Power Electronic systems for powertrain * Customer safety impact for new high voltage systems, analysis and design implementation * UK based supply chain development for high value automotive components

Innovative high strength aluminium alloys, novel processing, joining and assembly technologies have been developed for use in light weight crash resistant battery enclosures and for the integration of such structures into ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs). The optimum combination of extrusions and sheet can provide architectural flexibility in meeting both the protective structures and the thermal management requirements which can control battery operating temperatures to precise levels reducing, the risk of thermal runaway and optimising battery pack operating temperatures during charging and driving to reduce energy losses. The novel enclosure architectures will provide scalable design and manufacturing concepts utilising agile multi-platform cells on the same production equipment, engineered to meet variable volume demands, while providing a kit of parts for local assembly and export options. This enables the introduction of multiple EV platforms as OEM technology demonstrators, critical to supporting OEM acceleration to high-volume electrification programs. Without such a solution, the high capital and manufacturing costs of the current production methods act as a significant barrier to low, then medium and high-volume production, thereby delaying the electrification timetable. The proposed solution further de-risks the supply chain by providing scale-up to high volume production by keeping capital costs to a minimum. This provides significant advantages in manufacturing and assembly costs and set up time whilst meeting current legislative requirements, providing the opportunity to define new standards of safety, crash management and energy efficiency. The ALIVE project will design, develop, assemble and extensively test aluminium intensive prototype enclosures and full-scale demonstrator enclosures for BMW and Volvo electric vehicles, forming an integrated pathway to UK battery pack production by providing the light weight enclosures aligned to current and future battery module technologies and power densities. The project aims to take another major step with disruptive high strength aluminium alloys and their processing and joining technologies, enabling new enclosure design concepts for the manufacture of both vehicle integration structures and battery enclosures for a new generation of lightweight hybrid and electric vehicles for the UK market that will have a major impact on the UK government's carbon reduction targets for the UK vehicle fleet. The project will establish a UK based manufacturing facility for world leading cost-efficient structural aluminium battery enclosures providing an on-shore resource for BEV and PHEV component manufacture, with the manufacturing concept capable of providing efficient transportation of parts for export assembly.

Innovative and ground breaking high strength aluminium alloys and processing technologies have been developed for use in light weight crash resistant battery enclosures and for the integration of such structures into ultra-low emissions vehicles (ULEVs). The combination of extrusions, HFQ sheet and castings can form both the protective structures and can provide novel thermal management systems which can control battery operating temperatures to precise levels reducing the risk of thermal runaway and optimising battery pack operating temperatures during driving to reduce energy losses. This provides significant advantages in manufacturing and assembly costs/set up time whilst meeting current legislative requirements, providing the opportunity to define new standards of safety, crash management and energy efficiency. Both energy and power density of battery systems are increased by reducing battery enclosure weight by using an aluminium alloy intensive architecture, combining innovative design and advanced manufacturing processes. The project aims to take another major step with disruptive high strength aluminium alloys and their processing and joining technologies, enabling new enclosure design concepts for the manufacture of both vehicle integration structures and battery enclosures for a new generation of lightweight hybrid and electric vehicles for the UK market that will have a major impact on the UK government's carbon reduction targets for the UK vehicle fleet. The project will design, develop a recyclable aluminium intensive components for a test enclosure and for full scale demonstrators of battery enclosure for vehicles specified by the two major global OEM's that are project partners. The longer term intention is to establish a UK based manufacturing facility for world leading cost efficient aluminium battery enclosures based on the intensive use of fully recyclable aluminium alloys in order to provide an on-shore resource for ULEV component manufacture.

Increasing the power-density of batteries is vital to accelerate the widespread adoption of electric vehicles and to reduce their weight. This project aims to develop a High Power Lithium Storage Device (HP-LiSD), with a modular design and at least 5kW/kg, compared to 1-2 kW/kg for the best hybrid lithium ion batteries today. BMW Motorsport Limited will collaborate with McLaren in research, design and development of the battery system for high performance hybrid and full electric vehicle applications. Electrochemistry know-how will come from the University of Warwick with battery cooling and module expertise coming from SME Delta Motorsport Limited. The intention would be for these batteries to power both McLaren and BMW Group cars in the future.

McLaren Automotive, Ricardo, Grainger and Worrall, Lentus Composites, the University of Bath and a major European OEM have been awarded an APC grant to develop a high specific power, modular combustion system and associated engine technologies for application in future vehicle programmes. The APC grant will support the development of a completely new generation of technically advanced engines offering significantly improved CO2 figures for high performance vehicles. The grant will also improve the UK’s development and production capabilities for low CO2 ICE technology. The European OEM will transfer skills and development experience of engine systems to McLaren Automotive; Ricardo will extend its capabilities in the same areas; Grainger and Worrall will deliver complex, lightweight casting technology; Lentus Composites will seek grow from an SME status to a full automotive tier 1 supplier; and the University of Bath will advance capabilities in ICE system efficiency R&D.