Toyota gets £1.6m UK research boost

Toyota will have the chance to set up a pilot production line for its Hilux FC model at its plant near Derby.

The research carried out there could lead to trucks being built at the company's Deeside factory in Wales.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is investing 5.6 million in the research scheme, based in Burnaston, with another 5.7 million coming through the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK APC, an industry body that supports work to decarbonise transport.

The government said that hydrogen vehicles are better suited to isolated settings like farms and quarries where pickup trucks are already used, and the infrastructure for electric vehicle charging is impractical.

Business Secretary Grant Shapps said that the potential of new technologies will be a key part of its future success, while making our roads cleaner, greener and more affordable.

This multi-million pound boost - created by government working hand-in- hand with industry - will put firms in pole position to pioneer these innovations, staying at the cutting edge of the global race for decades to come. Richard Kenworthy, the Managing Director at Toyota Manufacturing UK, said that this exciting project allows Toyota to develop a unique fuel cell commercial vehicle on the iconic Hilux platform in the UK.

This will be a big part of the skills base within Toyota in the UK but also through the consortium partners and wider supply chain. Ian Constance, APC chief executive, said that he believes that supporting vital research and development in the UK is a good time to invest in transport decarbonisation as well as boost growth in the automotive sector. The Toyota deal is one of five announced on Friday, with 73 m of backing from the APC.

Other schemes include the development of a new method for manufacturing permanent magnet electric motors in Bridgwater in Somerset, and a hydrogen fuel cell-powered HGV cab and tractor unit in Glasgow.

A project to provide lower carbon and lower cost sources of recycled aluminium alloys for the car industry is being developed in Slough, and there is funding to develop methane powered off-road heavy tractors in Basildon, Essex.