Advanced Propulsion Centre UK

Supports automotive transition by moving zero-emission vehicle innovations from feasibility and scale-up into industrial deployment.

Advanced Propulsion Centre UK is a UK government-backed body focused on industrialising zero-emission automotive technologies. Founded in 2013 as a joint venture between government and the Automotive Council UK, it is based at the University of Warwick in Coventry and works on the transition from vehicle research into manufacturing.

Its funding is built around grants and co-investment for R&D, demonstrators, feasibility studies, and capital-scale facilities along the electric-vehicle value chain. The DRIVE35 programme is the main umbrella and is organised into Innovation, Scale-up, and Transformation pillars, with named routes such as Demonstrate, Collaborate, Feasibility Studies, Scale-up Fund, Automotive Transformation Fund, and UKCAAR Feasibility Sprint. Award ceilings range from £90,000 for UKCAAR Feasibility Sprint to £25 million for DRIVE35 Collaborate.

APC's value is in moving projects from concept into industrial deployment, often alongside the Department for Business and Trade and, for some calls, Innovate UK through the Innovation Funding Service. Applicants tend to succeed when they can show manufacturing readiness, a credible supply-chain plan, and a clear contribution to the UK's zero-emission automotive base.