The Foresight Vehicle Mobility scheme is intended to help deliver the Government’s 10 year programme for transport and cleaner vehicles (see related story), and is designed to promote British innovation. Projects that are currently being sponsored include after-treatment systems for exhaust, and innovative energy storage devices for alternatively-fueled vehicles in order to help reduce harmful emissions.
“We are also examining lightweight materials and design for heavy goods vehicles to help save fuel, plus new advanced materials to help make passenger cars safer,” explained Whitty. “We are also exploring the area of electronic systems, driver displays and communication media, and systems to enable cars to communicate with the transport infrastructure.”
“It is extremely important that the Government stimulates developments to speed up the adoption of more environmentally friendly vehicles,” said Whitty, welcoming this opportunity for his department to participate in the programme.
The Vehicle Mobility project is one of 16 panels from a variety of industrial sectors which make up the Foresight programme, set up in 1994 in order to improve the competitiveness of the UK economy, and enhance quality of life, by bringing together business, academia and Government to identify and respond to emerging opportunities in markets and technologies.