AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
STATE OF THE ART FACILITY
FEV
COVENTRY UNIVERSITY AND FEV JOIN FORCES TO
LAUNCH £50M CENTRE FOR CLEANER MOBILITY
A £50m state-of-the-art facility for creating
cleaner mobility has opened in Coventry,
giving a major boost to the UK automotive
industry. partners keen to accelerate the creation
of new propulsion systems for use across
automotive, aerospace, marine and rail
sectors.
The Centre for Advanced Low-Carbon
Propulsion Systems (C-ALPS), an innovative
collaboration between Coventry University
and global engineering specialist FEV Group,
is looking to harness cutting-edge academic
and commercial expertise to support the
development of the next generation of
electric, hybrid and combustion engines. 36 new jobs will be created initially, with a
number of apprentices and graduates from
Coventry University already appointed.
Over 30,000 sq ft of purpose-built space
on Cheetah Way will house some of the
most advanced internal combustion and
electrification test bed facilities currently
available in the UK, creating a dedicated
resource for testing current and future
powertrain solutions quickly and efficiently.
The capabilities will be available to OEMs,
SMEs in the supply chain and technology
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“This collaboration is very encouraging
news and a welcome boost for the UK
automotive industry,” explained Professor
Richard Dashwood, Deputy Vice-Chancellor
at Coventry University.
“We have a real opportunity for the country
to lead the rest of the world when it comes to
developing low carbon propulsion systems
and C-ALPS has a major role to play in making
this happen.”
He continued: “It’s all about bringing the best
of both worlds together, using the expertise
and track record of FEV Group in engineering
consultancy and combining it with the
academic knowledge of our professors to
create a real centre of excellence that can
attract funding, build capacity in the supply
chain and, importantly, offer commercial
testing services to car makers.
“Automotive is naturally the first target,
but the technology will also be available to
support the evolution of other sectors.”
FEV UK moved into the new facility in January
and this will serve as its UK Test Centre,
expanding its business operation here and
further increasing the local execution of
projects close to its customers.
The location in the heart of the Midlands
automotive industry was a major attraction
and the investment will create world class
test bed facilities that will prove invaluable
to the sector’s move towards new powertrain
solutions.