Niche Vehicle Network

Proof of Concept / 2022

Hi-DEN: High Density Energy Network

CARBON THREESIXTY LIMITED

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) are a key tool in the decarbonisation of both land and air transport vehicles and require high pressure Hydrogen storage systems. Carbon ThreeSixty’s Hi-DEN (high density energy network) system, based on volumetrically efficient arrays of “micro” hydrogen vessels enables huge increases in storage capacity, efficiency and vehicle range. The Hi-DEN project will build and test a fully functional prototype Hydrogen storage vessel to demonstrate these benefits for Viritech’s range of FCEV vehicles.

Production Readiness / 2022

EV Beach Buggy

HALL ENGINEERING AND DESIGN LIMITED

Hall Engineering And Design, Pie Valley Buggies and Ecoclassics are teaming up to produce an electric beach buggy. Unlike the original, this beach buggy will be brand new and have no old VW Beetle parts. The vehicle uses new suspension uprights, double wishbones, modern rack-and-pinion steering, integrated hubs, large ventilated disc brakes and a stiff perimeter-frame-plus-backbone steel chassis. An integrated 160 kW motor/gearbox/differential/inverter unit will be powered by a battery pack with 8 1P12S 44V modules giving 350V and 19kWh, which will provide a 90 to 100 mile range. This project is about fun in a sustainable, durable vehicle.

Production Readiness / 2022

EV MODE

FAR-UK LTD

Niche vehicle manufacturers and new market entrants face high development and piece costs. This project aims to mitigate this by bringing to market a generic front-end drive module suitable for sub-A segment M1 passenger, and L category vehicles with a two wheel front axle.

“Out-of-the-box” the bolt-on front-end drive module incorporates an e-axle with integrated inverter, braking, steering, suspension and crash-worthiness. All components will be size and mass appropriate for these smaller vehicles, offering a quicker route to market for light-weight energy efficient vehicles.

By leveraging the partner companies' innovations a cost effective, high energy efficiency module will be produced.

Production Readiness / 2022

HELAR - High Efficiency Lightweight Aero Rim

CARBON THREESIXTY LIMITED

The HELAR project will develop the design and manufacturing of affordable, fully composite aerodynamically efficient automotive wheels which combine lightweighting and low drag in the component where it has the biggest impact on both the efficiency and performance of the vehicle. This combination tackles the largest contributors to efficiency for both the low speed stop/start city driving (inertia) as well as the high speed cruise (drag). This will be a major enabler for significant range extension for both passenger and commercial BEV and FCEV vehicles.

Production Readiness / 2022

Amphibious e-ATV for Fire & Rescue, Agriculture and Documentary Making

INETIC LIMITED

Our consortium is an unusual mix of companies that have come together out of necessity to solve a problem. Whinwhistle Ltd are a fishery, agriculture and recreation business who need amphibious vehicles and cannot use ICE versions due to noise and water pollution. iNetic Ltd are an EV systems company who can supply the electric drive train for such a vehicle and want to become a niche e-ATV OEM. Customised Composites Ltd are a composite manufacturer who can supply the chassis and body for the e-ATV. We have interest in the product from Fire & Rescue and documentary makers.

Feasibility Study: Innovative Charging / 2021

Modular Megawatt Charging

SYSELEK (UK) LTD.

HGV EVs typically have battery packs up to 500kWh, which can be fully recharged in 2 hours with 300kW DC charging. However, this is too slow for many small fleet operators considering converting to an EV fleet. 1MW+ DC charging offers much faster charging, but many small depots are not served by sufficient grid power supply and DNO upgrades will be costly and slow.

This feasibility study investigates modular HGV EV charger designs at a range of power levels, including potential modular power buffer storage to compensate for insufficient grid power supply.

Feasibility Study: Innovative Charging / 2021

HiSine - Unidirectional AC CCS

INDRA RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

The HiSine project is a collaboration between EVSE specialist Indra and niche vehicle OEM Morris-Commercial.

The project takes existing mature, low cost, unidirectional AC charging hardware and overlays a novel approach to enable advanced communication based on the CCS charging standard typically used in expensive DC charging stations.

The project will demonstrate high level communications between vehicle and charger systems enabling direct (not cloud) communication of vehicle state of charge, secure identification and additional comms to enhance troubleshooting. These are of particular use in a fleet environments.

The project enables future productionisation of charging hardware and define vehicle side hardware/software.

Feasibility Study: Innovative Charging / 2021

VHF wireless power transfer to improve charging opportunities for niche vehicles

INDUCTIVE POWER PROJECTION LTD

Existing commercial systems for wireless power transfer (WPT) is insufficient for many heavy-duty niche applications. However, WPT performance can be substantially enhanced by increasing the operating frequency. The frequency standard for EVs is 85kHz. Inductive Power Projection Ltd is working on a novel, very high frequency (VHF) WPT method that increases power density to a point where heavy-duty applications such as fleet, heavy goods and special purpose vehicles can be wirelessly charged.

This project aims to explore practical management of VHF-WPT electromagnetic emissions, allowing accelerated development of our charging solution to support increased uptake of zero-emission, on-road UK niche vehicles.

Feasibility Study: Innovative Charging / 2021

Accelerating Ultra-Rapid Charging For Electric Refuse Vehicles In Non-Urban Areas

LEVISTOR LTD

Levistor is developing an innovative energy storage system for spot-reinforcing the grid to provide the high power needed for fast-charging electric refuse collection vehicles. It is difficult for many local authorities to replace diesel vehicles due to EV range anxiety and the difficulty of providing rapid-charging infrastructure in rural locations, where it may never be economic to upgrade the grid. Our system can be installed where required on pre-determined refuse collection routes, charging from the existing grid in advance and then providing the hundreds of kilowatts needed by the vehicle at key locations to be back on the road fast.

Feasibility Study: Innovative Charging / 2021

Project Nectar: an e-bike smart charging solution that retrofits into existing cycle infrastructure

HONEYCOMB NETWORK LTD

Honeycomb will adapt its innovative e-scooter charging system for e-bikes. Honeycomb chargers use cutting-edge research to improve battery lifetimes. This study lays the foundations for a proof-of-concept solution to support the already-large UK market of over 474,000 e-bike users. This will take the form of a smart charger retrofitted onto existing cycle-storage infrastructure. Honeycomb e-bike charging could avoid 318,000tCO2 and 398tNO2 by year-5 (2027) through supporting a modal shift of 7% of car journeys to e-bike and e-cargo-bike trips. Even when factoring in all life-cycle energy vectors, e-bikes emit 92% fewer emissions than fossil fuel cars over the same distance.