Employment Law Changes 2024

Croner have provided the attached helpful Infographic to summarise recent Employment Law updates.

As the employment law landscape continues to evolve, employers face a raft of new legislation changes set to come into effect in 2024. From amendments to the Equality Act 2010 to adjustments in the minimum wage and holiday pay regulations, staying informed about these developments is crucial for businesses to ensure compliance and uphold the rights of their employees.

Croner will explore the key upcoming changes and their potential impact, providing employers with essential insights to navigate the evolving legal framework and support their workforce effectively.

The following legal changes have been confirmed by government but may not have an exact implementation date as of yet.

Don’t forget, within your member benefits you receive FREE support over the phone on the Croner Business Support Helpline.

To find out more click here.

Laser-sharp Immico making sparks fly with on and off-track success

Immico has been making sparks fly in recent weeks both on and off the racetrack, with a dominant performance in the 2024 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season-opener – and a ‘game-changing’ new laser-cutting tool back at base that has enabled the company to considerably enhance its offering.
 
Founded just under five years ago, the Sarratt, Herts-based start-up – a member of the prestigious Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) – has rapidly been forging a reputation for itself on the motor racing scene, with its cutting-edge thermal management solutions helping drivers and teams to exploit that crucial edge and unleash the last vital fractions of a second that can make all the difference between winning and losing.
 
There was certainly plenty of winning last month. In the BTCC curtain-raiser at Donington Park, Immico-equipped cars sped to all three victories, pole position, a full house of fastest laps and six of the nine podium positions. And it is not only on the circuit that the pioneering British brand has been racing ahead.
 
Having recently extended its premises to cater to increasing demand, at the beginning of April, Immico invested in a state-of-the-art laser-cutting machine, which has significantly streamlined, simplified and sped up its manufacturing processes. It has been, says Managing Director Stuart Thorp, quite the breakthrough...
 
“The laser-cutter allows us to engineer our products in a much shorter timeframe – and importantly, without compromising on quality,” he explains. “We can design the parts in-house using CAD (computer-aided design) software, load them onto the machine and basically just press play.
 
“It’s substantially faster than cutting by hand, which has accelerated the whole process and that in-turn means we can take on more projects, tackle higher volumes, meet tighter deadlines and even branch out into other areas of manufacturing – it really is a game-changer in that respect.
 
“It also means we can now be so much more reactive, rather than having to plan ahead all the time. In the fast-paced, constantly evolving world of motorsport, that’s a huge benefit.”
 
The increased capacity has enabled Immico to broaden its services and expand into new realms, including reflective thermal management products made out of aluminium – a lightweight material with performance as ever at the forefront of considerations. It is, Thorp reasons, just as important to keep a car’s cool areas cool as to stop the hot elements from overheating – an obvious truth, perhaps, but one that is frequently overlooked.
 
“It’s a different approach to the bread-and-butter heat-shielding that we are used to,” he acknowledges. “Our core business remains the production of heat-shielding insulation for exhaust systems, but we are now also working on protecting cooler areas around the bulkhead – in this case, rather than insulating the hot areas, it’s about making sure the cool areas stay cool.
 
“Instead of retaining the heat inside the exhaust, the focus here is on keeping heat away from the cockpit, to protect the air intakes and prevent the driver from getting too hot. It’s another string to our bow and effectively makes us a complete thermal management one-stop shop.”
 
With defending BTCC champions NAPA Racing due to conduct back-to-back testing with the brand’s reflective thermal management solutions this season, Immico’s winning ways show no signs of slowing down anytime soon...

To find out more click here.

MIA Member Catesby Tunnel wins Autocar’s Innovation Award for 2024

The winner of Autocar’s Innovation Award for 2024 is Catesby Tunnel, the 1.7-mile hole through the Northamptonshire countryside that once formed part of the Great Central Railway and has recently been repurposed as a globally unique aerodynamic testing facility.

“Fourteen years ago, I was thinking about how we test our designs,” says Rob Lewis, the brilliant aerodynamicist once of BAR and Honda Formula 1 teams and now managing director of Totalsim, which specialises in computational fluid dynamics (CFD), explaining how today’s facility came into being.

We would optimise things in CFD, but in the UK our wind tunnel choices were MIRA or a scale tunnel, and we didn’t have a full-scale moving-ground automotive tunnel. I was Googling and found Catesby Tunnel, just up the road from our office in Brackley, on the same train line. So I started kicking the idea around,” he tells us.

Lewis had been working with Prodrive and discovered that some of its engineers had been testing race cars using a tunnel called Laurel Hill in the US, run by Chip Ganassi Racing.

“That proved it works,” says Lewis. “But how could it not? You’ve got a controlled environment and a car moving along a body of air.” 

Catesby was even more enticing than Laurel Hill. It’s arrow-straight and longer, which is important because “you can get up to speed, run a number of tests and get down from speed”, says Lewis. 

“In a shorter tunnel, the getting up to and down from speed takes the same distance, so you lose test time in the middle; 1.7 miles is really good.”

Catesby is wide too – “it has a cross-sectional area of 40 square metres”, says Lewis – and that’s desirable because of an aerodynamic effect called ‘blockage’. 

"As a vehicle moves, it displaces the air around it, and the smaller the area it’s passing through, the less space there is for displaced air so it will move more quickly. 

"In a confined space, a car at 100mph might have air passing over and around it at 110mph or 120mph, making for noisy results. “Catesby is a lot bigger than even a very large wind tunnel, which makes blockage effects small,” says Lewis.

Even Catesby’s constant 1-in-172 gradient is “handy”, says Lewis, “because it’s small enough to be in the limits of certified testing like WLTP, but it’s big enough that when you test in two directions, you get an offset, which is ‘mg sin θ’, and that helps you cancel things out. So if you’re trying to work out what the rotational inertia of parts of the vehicle is, then you tweak the number from the up and the down until they line up and sit on top of each other. We’d rather have a little slope than no slope.” Knowing it was the ideal spot, the painstaking work of making Catesby a reality began. “The inspiration was 10 minutes,” says Lewis. 

“The rest took forever. You go to a bank or an investor and they say: ‘It’s never been done before and you’ve got no purchase orders.

“So the thing that really unlocked it was the local growth fund from Semlep [South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership]. They gave us £4.2 million and did it with a lot of faith in us, and that then unlocked a deal with Subaru [which Totalsim was working with via Prodrive] to sell them some shares and some time in the tunnel. Right at the end, we managed to get a small bank loan from NatWest.”

Part of the challenge is that aerodynamics, despite how much more efficient it can make cars, is not perceived as a key area for investment. “In the UK automotive tech world, aerodynamics isn’t well funded,” says Lewis. 

“If we were doing things to do with lightweighting electrics and batteries, smart connectivity, or autonomy, there would have been many more grants available.

"The one we took was for economic development rather than tech. If you look at the Automotive Council and what they fund in the propulsion centre, aero development barely gets a look-in.”

And yet the advantages are key. “In a typical road car, half the petrol is burnt by overcoming the aerodynamics and you’d think that would be a priority but it’s not yet,” says Lewis. Meanwhile, in an electric car, “if you can take 30% off the drag, then the car will go further for the same battery, so you can reduce the battery and the weight, and by doing that make it more efficient and go further again”.There have been issues. Bats have needed looking after and it took longer to certify fire regulations than was hoped, but Catesby is now up and running, with a £4m innovation centre in development near the tunnel entrance, and the tunnel is getting busier and proving its worth.

“Like most things, when you invent something new it takes the market time to realise it and adopt it,” says Lewis. 

“OEMs are interested and are trying it, but they take a long time to change their processes. We’ll get there.”

Launching and proving new ventures is what Autocar’s Innovation Award sets out to acknowledge and that’s why we’re proud to name Catesby Tunnel as our 2024 winner.

To find out more click here.

Yesterday evening at the House of Lords, Alejandro Agag, Chairman of Formula E, Extreme E and E1, was presented with the most prestigious personal Award of the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA).

Two hundred motorsport business leaders joined The Rt Hon the Lord Astor of Hever PC DL, MIA Honorary President, to applaud Alejandro's outstanding work.

This Award recognises exceptional personal contribution to the motorsport industry. Past winners include Toto Wolff, Ross Brawn OBE, Sir Jackie Stewart and Adrian Newey OBE amongst many others.   

Photo: The Rt Hon the Lord Astor of Hever PC DL, Julian Jakobi and Chris Aylett
The Award was collected by Julian Jakobi on Alejandro Agag's behalf

The motorsport journey for Alejandro began with a six-year TV deal in partnership with one of Formula One’s leading characters, Flavio Briatore.

He then became a team owner, not only in motor racing but also Premier League football with Queens Park Rangers.

Following a shared dream which was noted on a napkin during lunch in 2011 with the then FIA President Jean Todt, he announced a new, radical, very timely international race series, Formula E.

Alejandro has been called “Mr Connected”. He has, certainly, used his many business connections to bring millions of pounds into motorsport and attract entirely new audiences around the world.

His political background and awareness, exceptional vision and ability to deliver “dreams” has been certainly of outstanding value to the motorsport industry. 

His most recent announcement of a hydrogen off-road championship, Extreme H, taking place from 2025, demonstrates Alejandro’s continuing commitment to break new ground.

MIA CEO Chris Aylett commented “Congratulations to Alejandro on receiving the MIA’s Personal Contribution Award. His leadership has been instrumental in helping Motorsport Valley companies benefit from recent growth in sustainable motorsport and has so secured its future”.

For further MIA information, please contact Jayne Hawkins at the MIA. 
Tel: +44 (0) 2476 692600. Email: jayne.hawkins@the-mia.com 

St. Helena arrives in London ahead of tomorrow’s Extreme H official launch

The sport-for-purpose motor racing series Extreme E’s ship, St. Helena, navigated London’s River Thames this morning (26 June) ahead of the official unveiling of Extreme H, the world’s first hydrogen off-road racing championship – taking place aboard the ship tomorrow (27 June).

The St. Helena, which was last in London for the launch of Extreme E in January 2019, passed under the iconic Tower Bridge before mooring next to HMS Belfast, where she will remain for the rest of the week, providing the setting for the much-anticipated reveal of Extreme H and the hydrogen racing series’ first-ever race car.

Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme H, said: “Seeing the St. Helena travel along the River Thames with our Extreme H car on-board takes me back to the great memory of launching Extreme E five years ago in the same place, the start of a great adventure.

“We are all excited to reveal the first-ever Extreme H car and to do so aboard the St. Helena, which is so pivotal to the success of our series and one of the many elements which makes us as a racing championship so unique, is going to be momentous.

“We are looking forward to launching a new era for motorsport and hydrogen, and to do so on the River Thames with the backdrop of Tower Bridge will be a special feeling.”

Extreme E’s global odyssey is made possible by its floating centrepiece and base, the St. Helena. She is used to transport the championship’s freight and infrastructure, including each car competing in the series, to the nearest port to each race location, minimising Extreme E’s emissions by 75 per cent compared to airfreight.

The former Royal Mail cargo-passenger vessel which once provided the island of St Helena with its only freight and passenger transport links to the mainland, underwent an extensive multi-million pound renovation process in 2020, including a comprehensive mechanical overhaul, full refurbishment of its interior into a VIP hospitality and hotel facility, and fresh branded Championship livery.

The official launch of Extreme H is set to redefine the future of motorsport, as the series prepares to evolve from its electric racing roots to become the world’s first hydrogen racing series, testing cutting-edge hydrogen technologies in a competitive racing environment from 2025.

To find out more click here.

Fortescue announces official re-brand of WAE to Fortescue Zero

On 22nd May 2024 more than 700 colleagues joined senior leadership and Board members at Fortescue’s UK HQ in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, to witness the official re-branding of WAE (Williams Advanced Engineering) to Fortescue Zero.

Part of the Fortescue family, WAE is a world-leading technology and engineering business renowned for its ground-breaking projects in high performance battery systems, electrification and zero-emissions technology.

The re-brand of WAE to Fortescue Zero puts technical excellence and innovation at the very heart of Fortescue as a whole, emphasising the businesses’ ambition to become a zero emissions operator by 2030 and fully eradicating its use of fossil fuels.

Fortescue Zero will create the solutions required to drive a zero emissions future, with some of these on show at the Power of Now investors day held at Kidlington HQ, 24th May. More than 50 investors and partners were invited to Fortescue Zero to experience first-hand, the innovative technologies being delivered to support the drive to zero emissions.

Fortescue Zero presented showcases of its ground-breaking technology including Green Pioneer (the world’s first duel-fuelled ammonia vessel to achieve flag and class approval from the Singapore Registry of Ships, with an emissions footprint that is 90% lower than comparable fossil fuel competitors), the zero-emission ‘Infinity Train’, Formula E engineering and the all-electric mine haul truck, which guests were able to ‘drive’ via a VR headset.

Aligned to the event, Fortescue Zero announced a new partnership with JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) to use Fortescue Zero’s Battery Intelligence Software “Elysia” on all electric vehicles starting with the new Land Rover fleet later this year.

To find out more click here.

Cosworth’s most powerful naturally aspirated hypercar engine unleashed

Cosworth, the global leader in automotive powertrain technologies, is celebrating the launch of its most powerful hypercar engine to date following the grand unveiling of the Bugatti Tourbillon on June 20.

The Bugatti’s new generation hyper sports car joins an incredibly exclusive set of Cosworth-powered high-performance masterpieces, which includes the Aston Martin Valkyrie, the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 and the Bizzarrini Giotto.

Experts in clean-sheet design, Cosworth was approached in 2021 by Bugatti to design and manufacture a new engine for its newest hyper sports car, the Chiron successor. However, the engineers were not expecting to be tasked with such a mammoth request: a high capacity, high revving V16 capable of producing 1000hp. It is an engine configuration that hasn’t been mass produced in the automotive industry since the 1930s, with only a handful created as prototypes for niche vehicles in recent years.

Bugatti Tourbillon’s naturally-aspirated V16 was first teased in February 2024, however details of its engine were kept carefully under wraps. Cosworth can now reveal more technical insight into the hypercar’s hybrid engine.

It took the company 13 months to transform its first detailed designs into the first V16 engine running on a dyno at Cosworth’s Northampton headquarters – a particularly impressive turnaround given the scale of the ambition in the project. 

The resulting product of this ambitious project is a 8.35-litre engine that can rev to 9000rpm. Cosworth elected for a cross-plane crank design with 90-degree bank angles and dry sump. Weighing just 252kg in total – lighter than the naturally aspirated Aston Martin 6.0-litre V12 – steps were made to optimise weight throughout the engine, including titanium connecting rods and a carbon fibre inlet plenum. The overall length of the crankshaft is 900mm, made from a single billet, with a total engine length just shy of 1m – demonstrating the scale required to power this incredible car.

Cosworth’s Managing Director of Powertrain, Bruce Wood said: “I think we all got goosebumps the first time we heard the roar of the Bugatti’s incredible V16 engine; it is a truly unique piece of machinery. Producing a V16, especially one as large as this 8.35 litre, is no easy feat. With the crank and camshafts measuring almost a metre long, we had to employ innovative design technology to overcome the torsional loads.

“The first thing that hits you when you see it is the sheer size of the engine – there is no escaping it. Yet we were able to use our experience to develop high tolerances within the design, thus reducing the mass and weight of the final product.  When we heard it fire up on the dyno and reach maximum revs, we were astounded at the sound. The performance figures speak for themselves, and coupled with the hybrid powertrain, the experience of the Bugatti Tourbillon will be truly one of a kind.”

To find out more click here.

Milestone reached as all 10 Formula 1 teams achieve FIA Three-Star Environmental Accreditation

Formula 1 has become the first motorsport championship in the world to have all member teams achieve FIA Three-Star Environmental Accreditation, the highest level of environmental sustainability recognition from the sport’s governing body.

Meanwhile, the FIA Formula One World Championship has renewed its own Three-Star Environmental Accreditation as it strives to become Net Zero by 2030 – a target that has been embraced by stakeholders from teams to manufacturers and promoters to partners.

The FIA Environmental Accreditation Programme was launched in 2011 to help the motorsport industry assess and enhance their environmental performance, with performance across a range of 17 criteria measured, ranging from energy use and supply chain management to transport planning, noise management and carbon emissions.

To ensure that impartiality is maintained during the auditing process for the accreditation, the audits are carried out by an independent, qualified.

The FIA Formula One World Championship was first awarded the accreditation back in 2020 and since then many of the sport’s key stakeholders have embarked on their own journeys to achieve FIA Three-Star Environmental Accreditation.

Alongside the 10 F1 teams, tyre supplier and Global Partner Pirelli hold the Three-Star Environmental Accreditation, while several race promoters and host circuits have achieved it, including events in Italy, Spain, Belgium, Austria, and the UAE, with the UK, Japan and Singapore also possessing the accreditation at some level.

This is in addition to others holding the key ISO14001 or ISO20121 certifications that respectively help an organisation set up an effective environmental management system, and offer guidance and best practice to help manage an event and control its social, economic, and environmental impact.

To find out more click here.

IAAPS and Ansible Motion partner to enhance automotive development solutions

IAAPS Ltd and leading Driver-in-the-Loop simulation provider Ansible Motion have entered a technical cooperation agreement to leverage the strengths of both organisations to deliver advanced simulation and testing capabilities to the automotive industry.

The partnership will lead to the development of a suite of accurate automotive tools necessary to evaluate and validate complex mechanical components in virtual domains and enable vehicle manufacturers and suppliers to achieve higher levels of virtual validation across chassis, powertrain and braking, supporting shorter time-to-market, lower costs and lower carbon emission targets.

IAAPS is a leader in vehicle propulsion research and the cooperation will see it become Ansible Motion’s first UK service partner. As part of this collaboration, Ansible Motion has installed a Theta Seat Driver-in-the-Loop (DIL) simulator at the IAAPS facility. This simulator will be integrated with IAAPS’ mechanical Hardware-in-the-Loop (mHIL) powertrain dynamometer, marking a significant advancement categorised as “mHIL + DIL integration”. This enhances IAAPS’ ability to conduct high-fidelity, real-world vehicle research and development in a laboratory setting.

The technical complexity of modern vehicle powertrains, combined with an industry-wide imperative to reduce time to market and shift towards more sustainable development processes, means that vehicle design, testing and validation are increasingly virtual. Therefore, new and innovative simulation and laboratory-based solutions are essential. The partnership with Ansible Motion supports these industry needs, allowing IAAPS to provide cutting edge solutions for the future of automotive development and enabling industry partners to confidently assess complex systems virtually.

The initial focus of this cooperation will be on the integration of specific DIL and mHIL systems with IAAPS' existing experimental facilities. As well as using the DIL simulator to advance its own test protocols, IAAPS will offer access to the simulator for Tier One suppliers, smaller OEMs, academic institutions and motorsport teams. As a second reference location alongside Ansible Motion’s R&D facility in Hethel, IAAPS will ensure more customers can benefit from ad hoc access to its DIL simulation technology.

Professor Rob Oliver, Managing Director of IAAPS, commented: “This partnership with Ansible Motion represents a significant advancement in our capabilities. By integrating its state-of-the-art DIL technology with our extensive R&D infrastructure, we are set to provide new capabilities for our partners, accelerating the introduction of new technologies to the market.”

Dan Clark, Managing Director of Ansible Motion, stated: “The increasing complexity and significant rise in interfaces between vehicle architectures and components require new validation tools and techniques that support the cost and time targets all OEMs need to remain competitive while finding ways to differentiate and still delight the end user. Our partnership will also unlock more sustainable ways to validate mechanical hardware that traditionally would have required expensive track time and significant resource consumption.”

Initial projects driven by this new partnership are already underway. The first seeks to develop validation methods in the virtual world for mHIL applications through trusted DIL simulation that will not only reduce development time and cost but also allow engineers to explore, risk-free in a controlled environment, consumer acceptance of innovative technologies. Examples include the validation of Brake-by-Wire (BbW), adaptive suspension, Steer-by-Wire (SbW) and cockpit architectures for User Experience (UX) such as infotainment and driver assistance (ADAS).

To find out more click here.

UK transmission specialist, Xtrac, has come a long way in 40 years

To find a news article click here.

Electric motors: is the UK placing its bets wisely?

Ample opportunities await UK businesses prepared to bet on shifting attitudes towards e-motor design and manufacture, says new APC report

With the European market for electric motors (e-motor) projected to expand to more than £27 billion over the next decade, a threefold increase, there exists an opportunity for the UK supply chain to establish itself as a recognised leader in motor design and production.

That is according to the latest insight report from the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), titled “e-Motors Value Chain”.

While much of the automotive industry considers reducing reliance on Rare Earth Element (REEs) in motors, focusing existing expertise on other types of motors – such as induction-based and Electrically Excited Synchronous Motors (EESM) – could pay dividends for forward-thinkers in the space.

The APC’s four key recommendations to realise the value-adds across the UK’s supply chain are:

• Continue building scale
• Invest in material supply chains, specifically REEs, E-steel and copper
• Explore new markets, beyond automotive, identifying emerging sectors and international opportunities
• Cross-sector collaboration to aggregate demand and leverage investment

 Dr Hadi Moztarzadeh, Head of Technology Trends, APC said:

"Despite supply chain challenges, the UK boasts a thriving ecosystem which is poised to make the most of a shift in attitudes and focus in the automotive sector.

In addition to the £27 billion European market forecast increase, global demand for e-motors for cars and vans will more than treble in the next ten years, including heavy-duty demand, which will see a fourfold increase in motor demand.

There also exists an opportunity to collaborate in the material supply chain. Innovators in the automotive ecosystem connecting with those in other sectors, namely aeronautical, marine, rail, and renewables would provide avenues for valuable knowledge sharing. Particularly with regards to e-steel.”

Chris Jones, Strategic Trends Manager, APC, lead author of the report commented:

“A resilient material supply chain for e-steel and copper is critical for the e-motor industry. While neodymium-based magnet technology dominates the market there is innovation in alternative materials to reduce dependence on the rare earth supply chain, materials such as iron ferrite and iron nitride show promise.

There is also a growing trend of using magnet free motors. This would allow UK manufacturers to reduce the costs associated with motor construction, diversify revenue streams, and establish a robust supply chain. Importantly, it could also lower the carbon impact of producing this vital material, which currently takes an indirect journey across Europe before eventually reaching our shores.”

Throughout its history, the APC has been instrumental in helping to boost the UK’s capabilities in this arena, with the Ford Halewood project, E-motif project, and EPIC project being just some of the more recent success stories.

You can obtain the full range of insights revealed in the report. In addition, you can watch an exclusive interview with Jones, who takes a further in-depth look at the challenges and solutions touched upon within the report.

To find out more click here.

Ricardo and InoBat announce new battery module solution at The Battery Show Europe 2024

Ricardo, a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company, will launch a new flexible battery module concept, in collaboration with its battery cell partners, InoBat, which is tailored for low-volume performance automotive applications at The Battery Show Europe 2024.

The new battery module concept offers OEMs in this space a cost-effective, flexible, and efficient solution to the development of bespoke battery packs for their high-performance and specialised product portfolio.

The modular design is scalable and customisable to meet complex performance and efficiency, while minimising compromises on the packaging of the full powertrain. Making it suitable for supercar, motorsport, performance motorcycle, marine and other equally demanding applications.

The battery module utilises InoBat pouch cells with high specific energy and a high C rating for highperformance operation and fast charging capabilities. The module incorporates a robust conduction cooling solution for sustained high power discharge and flexible packaging. A battery management system (BMS)-agnostic approach enables ease of integration into existing platforms. However, the module is fitted with Ricardo’s BMS as standard.

Visitors to the show, held between 18–20 June 2024, will be the first to catch a glimpse of the new battery module design on Ricardo’s stand, E70, in Hall 9 at the Stuttgart Messe. There will also be a showcase of Ricardo’s capability across the electrified propulsion system and its full product lifecycle.

James Sundler, Business Development Director for Ricardo’s Performance Products business unit, said: “We are proud to be presenting our new flexible battery module concept at The Battery Show Europe. Our goal is to facilitate the ease of transition to electrification for our clients in the performance automotive and motorsport markets while minimising design compromises to the vehicle. This battery module represents Ricardo’s world-class capability in creating innovative design, engineering, and industrialisation solutions to some of the toughest challenges facing these markets as they transition to new forms of low-emissions propulsion.”

“Our ongoing partnership with InoBat and our proven track record in industrialising technology is enabling Ricardo to create a robust, quality supply chain essential for the delivery of critical electrification components for these demanding applications.”

Iain Wight, Chief Commercial Officer at InoBat, said: “Ricardo has exceptional design and analytical capabilities that utilise InoBat’s high power and high energy characteristics of our NMC 811 high silicone anode cell in a very compact, efficient module. When this is combined with the manufacturing capability of Ricardo it presents a compelling solution for demanding manufacturers looking to provide high performance battery solutions within their vehicles.”

To find out more click here.

Bcomp Leads Decarbonisation with Third-Party Verification of its GHG Emissions Data

Bcomp is committed to leading sustainability in the mobility industry. Our dedication to environmental responsibility drives us to ensure the accuracy and trustworthiness of our GHG emissions data. Collaborating with SGS, a renowned firm specialising in emissions testing, reporting, and certification, highlights this commitment. The GHG inventory follows reporting standards set by frameworks like the well-known GHG Protocol.

This verification by external experts is the first step in understanding the impact of our business and evaluating options for emissions reductions. SGS’s expertise guarantees our emissions data meets the highest standards of accuracy and reliability, enabling us to confidently track and report our progress towards realistic and ambitious goals.

Bcomp CEO, Christian Fischer, commented, “At Bcomp, sustainability is not an afterthought, it is a core part of our purpose. We are committed to reducing our environmental impact by lowering our emissions and helping our stakeholders do the same. This is why we prioritise understanding our emissions footprint before setting ambitious yet realistic reduction goals. We are proud that our data has been verified by independent experts SGS, which ensures the reliability of the data that forms the foundation of our 2023 Sustainability Report. As a leader in decarbonising the industry, this commitment to data accuracy is essential and reflects the high-quality standards our stakeholders expect from Bcomp.”

To find out more click here.

Start your engines… National Motorsport Week is coming!

Motorsport remains at the beating heart of Britain’s sporting psyche, with events from grassroot level upwards celebrated across the country on an almost weekly basis, rain or shine.

From the bustling community of competitors and volunteers to the fervour around the Formula 1 and the British Grand Prix, from 11 to 21 July 2024, National Motorsport Week will celebrate motorsport in all of its four-wheeled glory.

This summer’s campaign is designed to shine a light on one of country’s foremost sporting capabilities. It will celebrate motorsport, and all the opportunities that it offers, from volunteering to competing, through a series of events across the national network of 676 motor clubs from the Caithness Motor Club in Thurso to the Jersey Motorcycle and Light Car Club in Les Charrieres du Bouley in the Channel Islands.

The second aspect of celebrating motorsport and the opportunities that it provides, will be a national awareness campaign to provide beginners with information and insight on the multitude of ways to compete with very limited funding and even without a driving licence! 

With 13 categories of competition and multiple individual disciplines that are open to competitors from the age of six upwards, Motorsport UK is today launching a new website at https://motorsportweek.org/ to bring together all of the pathways available to inform and help new starters to give motorsport a go. 

Motorsport UK will continue to offer free membership and licensing for many grassroots categories of competition, including AutoSOLOs, Production Car Autotests and Trials.

Alongside immersion and information, National Motorsport Week also aims to inspire participation. The campaign starts in the run-up to the pinnacle events in the UK track racing calendar, Goodwood Festival of Speed and across the following ten days that concludes on race day for the Formula E London E-Prix, no less than 103 Motorsport UK-sanctioned events will take place. These range from entry-level karting events such as the British Indoor Karting Championships with qualification ongoing at TeamSport locations, to sports car racing with the British GT Championship at Snetterton to forest rallying with the Nicky Grist Stages in Builth Wells. Every event will be a muster point to inspire spectators to swap seats in the grandstands for a seat behind the wheel.

For those with an interest in the sport but not disposed to competing, National Motorsport Week will also be signposting a wide variety of other ways to get involved in motorsport. These opportunities range from participating in engineering education for school-age and undergraduate students through schemes like FIA Girls on Track UK, F1 in Schools and Formula Student to the opportunities to be on the front-line of club and international events as an all-important volunteer marshal.

Driving uptake of motorsport participation through a focused period of immersion, information and inspiration is the key to keeping the UK at the forefront of international competition as well as sustaining a powerhouse technology and engineering industry that supports more than 40,000 highly-skilled jobs and a net annual contribution of £9 billion to the national economy, even more prevalent in today’s current political climate, with sustainable alternatives and mobility solutions at the forefront of Number Ten’s agenda.

To find out more click here.

WEC: stage set for 24 hours of Le Mans

Le Mans is a pivotal race on the WEC calendar, not just because of its challenging nature, but also because of the double points it offers, with a total of 50 available for the winning crews in both Hypercar and LMGT3. Round four of this year’s FIA WEC season is also expected to welcome no less than 300,000 fans.

A total of 62 cars and 186 drivers (including 37 full-time FIA WEC entries) will compete in this year’s race. They will tackle the 13.6-kilometre circuit, where Hypercars reach speeds in the region of 340kph and 70% of the lap is travelled with a fully open throttle.

The Hypercar line-up for Le Mans is the biggest yet with a total of 23 entries. This is a 43% increase from last year’s Hypercar grid which saw 16 cars and highlights the continued growth in the WEC’s premier class due to an influx of manufacturers who have joined the series over the last 24 months.

A total of nine automakers will compete in Hypercar, including Alpine, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Isotta Fraschini, Lamborghini, Peugeot, Porsche and Toyota. There will be a further 16 entries in LMP2 and 23 in LMGT3.

19 of the Hypercars listed will be eligible to score WEC points which includes current championship leader Porsche. The manufacturer is yet to finish off the podium this season but faces tough competition from the likes of reigning World Champions Toyota Gazoo Racing and last year’s Le Mans winners, Ferrari AF Corse. Porsche is also the most represented marque on the Hypercar grid with a total of five 963s (Porsche Penske will run three car; Hertz Team JOTA two and Proton Competition will operate a single entry).

For the first time this season, Lamborghini Iron Lynx and Cadillac Racing will both field two Hypercars to join the other two-car entries – Alpine Endurance Team, BMW M Team WRT, Ferrari AF Corse, Peugeot TotalEnergies and Toyota Gazoo Racing. Finally, Isotta Fraschini and AF Corse will operate one Hypercar entry each. Completing the entry list in Hypercar is the American-flagged Whelen Cadillac Racing entry, making it three Cadillac V.Series R cars in the premier category.

One major change to the entry list was the announcement that Mike Conway will be replaced by former team-mate José María López in the #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing entry due to a rib and collarbone injury Conway sustained in a cycling incident last week. Replacing López in the Akkodis ASP run Lexus RC F LMGT3 will be Britain’s Jack Hawksworth.

The overall entry list sees strong local representation across all three classes with a total of 24 French drivers on the entry list with one driver from Le Mans itself: Sébastien Bourdais (#3 Cadillac Racing).

Porsche sits atop the standings. The German manufacturer so far has accumulated 83 points in the Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers’ Championship. Reigning World Champions Toyota are currently 23 points behind, with Ferrari 11 points adrift of Toyota. However, with 50 points available for Le Mans, this is the race where everything could change!

Among drivers, it is the crew of the #6 Porsche 963 (André Lotterer, Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor) that leads Spa-Francorchamps winners – the #38 Hertz Team JOTA crew driven by Will Stevens, Callum Ilott and Norman Nato.

Meanwhile, in LMGT3, it’s Manthey PureRXcing that tops the leaderboard with a total of 72 points after three rounds (thanks to one victory and a runner-up spot at the previous round in Spa). The fight for second and third is much tighter, however, with both Team WRT and Heart of Racing tied on 37 points.

The all-female Iron Dames crew will be hoping their luck will change after demonstrating excellent pace already this season in the Lamborghini Huracan LMGT3 Evo2 but have been unable to convert this to a win. The team announced recently that Doriane Pin had injured her ribs and would be replaced by experienced driver Rahel Frey for Le Mans.

The on-track action kicked off with the official Test Day last Sunday (9 June) where Porsche Penske was fastest, the Porsche 963 clocking a time of 3:26.907. It bettered last year’s best Test Day time which was set by the AF Corse #51 Ferrari 499P Hypercar by over three seconds. Second-fastest was the #4 Porsche Penske entry, 0.473s quicker than the #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 Hybrid Hypercar.

Sunday also marked the first running for the new-for-2024 LMGT3 class at Le Mans comprising of the following manufacturers Aston Martin, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren and Porsche.

The #82 TF Sport entry was the fastest overall, with the Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R setting a time of 3:59.883. The top three LMGT3 cars were incredibly close, the second and third-fastest crews - Heart of Racing and Team WRT – posting the same lap time (3:59.520).

16 entries on the 62-car-strong entry list are identical Gibson-powered Oreca 07s belonging to the LMP2 class. For 2024 the class was suspended from WEC due to the high volume of entries in the Hypercar class, however, continues to have a presence in the European Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Race week action commences tomorrow (Wednesday 12 June), with Qualifying taking place on Thursday. The flag for the 24-hour race will be waved at 16:00 on Saturday.

To find out more click here.

Make UK have provided the Makers’ Manifesto which sets out ten key objectives which are crucial for the next government if they want to support and grow the UK’s manufacturing sector.

To find out more click here.

We have recently returned from hosting our successful Business Development Mission to North Carolina, USA. This overseas activity has proven to be extremely valuable to those who have participated, with many gaining new key contacts with teams and organisations within the US motorsport market and now actively engaged with further business discussions. 

This activity, kindly supported by the Department for Business and Trade, returned to the MIA's event programme in 2023 and 2024, following the 2022 announcement that North Carolina was one of the first States to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on trade and economic cooperation with the UK. 

Hosted by our US Directors, this year's scheduled programme provided the opportunity for our motorsport supply chain group to visit and meet with the following US teams and organisations.

• Team Penske 
• IndyCar
• General Motors - The Charlotte Technical Center 
• Hendrick Motorsports 
• Joe Gibbs Racing 
• Multimatic Motorsports
• RFK Racing 
• SRI Performance
• Plus an informal networking reception hosted by Xtrac 

With some guests staying on for the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 race weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. 

Take a look at some of the testimonials from the May 2024 mission

Register your interest
We plan to host this activity again in 2025 - if you would like to register your interest in joining next year's visit, please email rachel.carn@the-mia.com. 

Lola Cars is set to compete in the GEN4 era of Formula E, extending its commitment until 2030.

Following the announcement of its highly anticipated return to competitive motorsport, Lola Cars (Lola) revealed today that its involvement in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will also extend into the GEN4 era. This commitment ensures its participation in the championship until at least 2030.

The iconic, globally renowned motorsport brand, which has more than 500 championship wins, will join as a manufacturer from next season for the new GEN3 Evo era. The latest commitment to GEN4 will take their participation in the championship through to at least 2030, across six seasons.

Lola’s commitment to Formula E is the first of many projects to come, as the iconic British company re-establishes itself as an industry leader in sustainable engineering and motorsport. With their focus on electrification, hydrogen and sustainable fuels, its commitment to Formula E will act as a stepping stone to further innovate in these key areas.

Alongside Lola, three other major manufacturers — Nissan, Porsche, and Jaguar — have also committed to the GEN4 era. Their participation promises electric racing fans even more excitement and competitive racing for years to come as the championship continues to grow and expand globally.

Formula E’s next-generation GEN4 technology will be introduced in Season 13 (2026/27), and includes significant advancements in efficiency, performance and safety. Aligned with Lola’s goals to further develop sustainable mobility technology, advanced features like all-wheel drive and increased efficiency will provide a new technical challenge for the British manufacturer on an already-competitive grid that includes some of the industry’s leading OEMs and teams.

While specific technical details for the GEN4 era are yet to be revealed by the FIA and Formula E, it is confirmed that the cars will feature 600kW of power, up from GEN3's 350kW, and 700kW regenerative braking, compared to the current 600kW — a significant increase.

This commitment demonstrates the shared goals of Formula E, the FIA and Lola Cars in progressing electric mobility, as well as their dedication to innovation and sustainability.

Jeff Dodds, Chief Executive Officer, Formula E said:

“With their historic return to top-tier motorsport for Season 11 next year, we’re delighted that Lola Cars will also be committing to the GEN4 era – promising their presence will be on the Formula E grid until at least 2030. Their trust in our series for their latest venture into electrification and innovation is testament to our ability to attract the biggest names in motorsport, as well as our joint ambition to continue to grow this championship.

"It’s a huge privilege for us, and we can’t wait to see what they can do next year when the famous Lola marque hits the Formula E track for the first time.”

Mark Preston, Motorsport Director, Lola Cars Ltd, said: “We are excited to be confirming our commitment to GEN4. Formula E is an ideal platform for powertrain and software development that we can use for broader motorsport and automotive applications.

"We feel the opportunity for innovation in this series will only increase as the performance of the cars and technology develops, giving greater scope to develop innovative technologies across global motorsport and in the broader zero emissions transportation space.”

Marek Nawarecki, FIA Senior Circuit Sport Director, said: “We are delighted to confirm Lola Cars as Formula E’s fourth committed manufacturer for GEN4. It was only recently that this famous brand announced its entry to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship next season, so to now similarly sign up for the following era is testament to the belief that Lola has in the series’ technical roadmap.

"Lola is a name synonymous with success in the sport and we are excited to see what they can now achieve in the pinnacle of electric single-seater racing.”

Read more here.

A new era of competition: FIA showcases future-focused Formula 1 regulations for 2026 and beyond

- ‘Nimble car’ concept at the heart of 2026 Technical Regulations targets improved raceability and closer racing

- 2026 cars will be 30kg lighter than current generation F1 cars improving efficiency and handling

- Redesigned power unit builds on world’s most efficient engines with almost 300% more battery power and even split between Internal Combustion and Electric power

- Active aerodynamics to suit the energy management requirements of new power units

- Increased overtaking opportunities through new Manual Override Mode granting more electrical power deployment for the following car

- Record number of six power unit manufacturers with Ferrari, Mercedes, Alpine, Honda, Audi and Red Bull Ford Powertrains committed to F1 from 2026

- 2026 cars to run on 100% sustainable fuel

- Improved safety through stronger structures and even tougher tests

The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) today showcases a more competitive, safer and more sustainable future for the FIA Formula One World Championship with the presentation of the much anticipated technical regulations that will define the sport from 2026 onwards.

Developed in consultation with the FIA Formula 1 Technical Working Groups, and formulated in collaboration with Formula 1, the sport’s 10 teams, OEMs and power unit manufacturers, outline details of the new regulations were revealed in Montréal ahead of this weekend’s 2024 FIA Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix. The 2026 regulations are now set to be officially ratified by the World Motor Sport Council on June 28.

FIA President Mohamed Ben Sulayem said: “Today, the FIA is defining a hugely exciting future for the pinnacle of motorsport with the launch of a comprehensive new set of regulations for the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship and beyond.

“Following the publication of 2026 Power Unit Regulations two years ago we have taken the opportunity to redefine the chassis regulations to match the energy requirement of the new power units. Collaborating with our partners at Formula 1 and with the assistance of the sport’s 10 teams and all our stakeholders this represents a unique revision that will ensure our premier championship is even more relevant to what is happening in the world.

“The Power Unit Regulations have already resulted in a record number of PU manufacturers committing to the sport. And now, in tandem with chassis regulations that provide for lighter, more agile cars featuring innovative aerodynamic solutions, we have created a set of regulations designed to not only improve racing but also to make the championship even more attractive to PU manufacturers, OEMs and existing competitors. The key features of the 2026 F1 Regulations are advanced, sustainability technology and safety. Our aim, together with Formula 1, was to produce a car that was right for the future of the sport’s elite category. We believe we have achieved that goal.”

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali added: “These regulations mark a significant moment in the future of our sport as we look forward to a new generation of car and power unit that aims to give our fans closer and exciting racing. The new sustainably fuelled hybrid power unit presents a huge opportunity for the global automotive industry, the drop in fuel has the potential to be used by cars around the world and dramatically cut emissions. Its potential is one of the key reasons why we will have a record number of engine suppliers in Formula 1 in 2026.

“We enter this new regulatory cycle with the sport in the strongest position it has ever been, and I am confident that the work done by the FIA to create these regulations will further strengthen the position of the sport around the world.”

Commenting on the advances contained within the 2026 regulations, FIA Single Seater Technical Director Nikolas Tombazis added: “With this set of regulations the FIA has sought to develop a new generation of cars that are fully in touch with the DNA of Formula 1 – cars that are light, supremely fast and agile but which also remains at the cutting edge of technology, and to achieve this we worked towards what we called a ‘nimble car’ concept. At the centre of that vision is a redesigned power unit that features a more even split between the power derived from the internal combustion element and electrical power.

"On the chassis side we have managed to reduce the size and weight of the car by 30kg resulting in a much more dynamic car. In addition we are introducing two exciting new features to enhance racing – active aerodynamics to achieve very low drag on the straights and the Manual Override system that will provide drivers with an on-demand burst of battery power when close enough to the car ahead of them.

"Lighter, more powerful and more focused on driver skill, the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations have been designed to provide closer racing among drivers, increase the competition between teams and improve the spectacle. In addition, we have opted for a higher electrical component of the power unit, a more efficient car overall, and fully sustainable fuels, as part of our drive towards a more sustainable future for our sport.”

The full set of 2026 regulations take Formula 1 into the future via a number of key innovations across power unit, chassis, aerodynamics, safety and sustainability.

Power Unit 

- First published in August 2022, the power unit regulations provide for a major leap forward. Building on the foundations of the world’s most efficient hybrid engine currently used in Formula 1, the 2026 power unit delivers even more power than the current PUs. While the power derived from the ICE element drops from 550-560kw to 400kw, the battery element increases massively, from 120kw to 350kw – an almost 300% increase in electric power. Performance is therefore maintained, while sustainability is increased even further.

- By simplifying the power unit through the removal of the MGU-H and the expansion of electrical power, the 2026 power is the most road relevant yet seen in Formula 1, and in tandem with 100% sustainable fuel provides a forward-thinking platform for transferrable future innovation.

- Additionally, the amount of energy that can be recuperated during braking is doubled, resulting in a total recuperable energy of 8.5 MJ per lap.

- A Manual Override mode has been included to create improved overtaking opportunities. While the deployment of a leading car will taper off after 290kph, reaching zero at 355kph, the following car will benefit from MGUK Override providing 350kW up to 337kph and +0.5MJ of extra energy.

- Designed to attract new manufacturers to the sport, the regulations have led to commitments from existing suppliers such as Ferrari, Mercedes and Alpine, the return of Honda as a manufacturer and the arrival of Audi and Red Bull Ford Powertrains.

Chassis 

- Designed to be smaller and lighter than the current generation of cars, the dimensions of the car have been altered to adhere to the ‘nimble car’ concept at the heart of the new rules. The wheelbase drops from a maximum of 3600mm to 3400mm, while the width has been reduced from 2000mm to 1900mm. The maximum floor width will be reduced by 150mm.

- Weight reduction has been a key goal and 2026 cars will have a minimum weight of 768kg – down 30kg on their counterparts from 2022. This is made up of 722kg Car and Driver + 46kg estimated tyres mass.

- Downforce has been reduced by 30% and drag by 55%.

- The 18-inch wheel size introduced in 2022 is being retained, though the width of the front tyres has been reduced by 25mm and the rears by 30mm but with minimal loss in grip.

Aerodynamics 

- The 2026 cars will also benefit from all-new Active Aerodynamics systems. The system, involving movable front and rear wings, will result in greater cornering speeds with standard Z-Mode deployed. On straights drivers will be able to switch to X-Mode a low-drag configuration designed to maximise straight-line speed.

- A three-element active rear wing will be adopted, while the lower beam wing has been removed and end plates have been simplified.

- The front wing will be 100mm narrower than currently and will feature a two-element active flap.

- In contrast to the current cars, front wheel arches will be removed, and part of the wheel bodywork will be mandated, to help achieve optimal wake performance.

- In-washing wheel wake control boards will sit on the front of the side pods to assist with the control of the wheel wake.

- The cars will feature a partially flat floor and a lower-powered diffuser, which will reduce the ground effect and the reliance of the cars on ultra-stiff and low set-ups.

Safety 

- The FIA’s rigorous pursuit of safety is upheld in the 2026 Formula 1 regulations.

- Revised front impact regulations introduce a two-stage structure to avoid incidents in recent years where the front impact structure (FIS) has broken-off close to the survival cell after an initial impact, leaving the car unprotected for a subsequent impact.

- Side intrusion protection has been increased. The new specification gives improved intrusion protection around the cockpit and more than doubles the protection given by the side of the fuel cell. Additionally, the improved intrusion protection will be achieved without adding weight.

- Roll hoop loads have been increased from 16G to 20G in line with other single seater formulas and test loads increased from 141kN to 167kN.

- Rear wing endplate lights will be homologated and significantly more visible/bright than current ones. Lateral safety lights will be introduced to identify the ERS status of a car stopped across the track.

- The GPS antenna is being repositioned to improve sensitivity and to allow for future developments in active safety.

Sustainability 

- From 2026 Formula 1 power units will run on fully sustainable fuel, underscoring the commitment to environmentally responsible racing and setting a new standard for motorsport.

- This fuel will be ‘drop-in’, meaning it can be used in almost any ICE-powered vehicle, offering a potentially game-changing solution to greenhouse gasses in the transportation sector. By 2030 there will be 1.2bn ICE cars on the road worldwide and the fuel developed for Formula 1 could be used to reduce emissions on an industrial scale.

- Sustainability will be enhanced through greater use of electric power in the 2026 power units and a shift to towards a 50% electrical and 50% thermal power distribution.

- The 2026 regulations are in line with the FIA objective of reaching Net Zero carbon by 2030.

To find out more click here.

Cosworth announces leadership change to prepare for the future

Cosworth, the global leader in automotive powertrain technologies, has today announced a wholesale change to its leadership team, as it prepares for sustainable growth and further success.

Gerald Forsythe, through one of his company’s Indeck-Cosworth, LLC, one of two Cosworth shareholders, has been appointed Chairman and he has secured the services of leading luxury automotive and motorsport consultancy R-Universe to join him on the leadership team.

Dr Florian Kamelger is appointed as Cosworth’s new CEO and Dr Andreas Baenziger will become Deputy Chairman. Both will join the Company’s Board of Directors.

The new team will now begin a full evaluation of the business with the emphasis on building on its core expertise of developing and manufacturing world-leading powertrains by utilising the talent in Cosworth’s different business units – Cosworth Propulsion, Delta Cosworth and Cosworth Electronics - as well as investing in new technologies to keep the company at the vanguard of automotive propulsion.

Gerald Forsythe, Chairman, Cosworth “After many years as a shareholder of Cosworth I am delighted to take on the role of Chairman. Cosworth is a world-class company, with world-class talent and expertise, and a customer base that is the envy of the industry.

“The shareholders’ commitment to the future of business has never been better, but now is the time to take it to the next level. We remain convinced that internal combustion engines have a long future, powering cars in the luxury sector - and it is this core sector where we see the most opportunity for sustainable growth. This is one of the many reasons why we have sought the unparalleled expertise of R-Universe. I am convinced that with Florian as our new CEO and Andreas joining me on the board, we have the right leadership team to propel Cosworth to even greater success.

On behalf of the Cosworth family, I’d also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Hal for his dedicated leadership. We wish him all the best for the future.”

Dr Florian Kamelger, CEO Cosworth “I am hugely excited to be taking on this new challenge. Cosworth is an illustrious brand that I have always admired, and it is an honour to be asked to lead a team of such outstanding talent, preparing the business for an exciting future.

“There will be changes that we have to make, as Cosworth has seen many in its 66-year history. Every time it has emerged stronger, fitter and at the forefront of automotive technology. It deserves to be seen as a true global luxury automotive brand, and the entire team will be working tirelessly to achieve that.”

Cosworth was founded in 1958 by legendary Lotus engineers Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth. It is headquartered in Northampton UK and has a facility in Indianapolis, USA. Throughout its history it has been at the forefront of innovation, working with global partners to deliver cutting edge propulsion and technology systems to automotive, motorsport, aerospace and marine sectors. It has also notched up 176 wins as an engine supplier in Formula One, ranking third with most wins behind Ferrari and Mercedes.

Cosworth is currently developing bespoke V12 engines for Gordon Murray Automotive and Aston Martin, and it has recently announced a partnership with the revitalised Bizzarrini brand.

The company includes electrification specialisms – with the Delta Cosworth and Cosworth Electronics divisions – focusing on high-voltage battery development and production as well as hybrid and EV control systems, drivetrains and full vehicle programmes.

To find out more click here.

Catesby Tunnel officially joins CAM Testbed UK

The 2.7km Catesby Tunnel has officially joined CAM Testbed UK, a global centre for the innovation and development of connected and self-driving vehicle technologies. In collaboration with Catesby Projects, the official worldwide resellers of Catesby Tunnel, this one-of-its-kind facility will become the sixth test facility to join the network.

Catesby Tunnel boasts ideal conditions for all kinds of vehicle testing, combining high levels of repeatability with reality. The temperature, pressure and humidity in the tunnel remain incredibly stable throughout, and there is no wind or rain to compete with either.

Paired with its excellently smooth surface (+/- 2mm of being planar), the tunnel nurtures an environment in which data can easily be gathered with a greater degree of confidence, allowing engineers to analyse the effects of tiny setup changes.

The hope is that this cornerstone of repeatabilty will prove extremely valuble to the testing of CAM technologies. The tunnel can be radio insulated, meaning it can be made to be totally dark, providing the perfect space for testing new technology in traditionally difficult-to-navigate conditions.

Jon Paton, Managing Director, said: “Catesby Tunnel is incredibly excited to become a member of CAM Testbed UK, joining a list of prestigious and innovative organisations that together demonstrate the UK’s broad capability for autonomous vehicle development.

“We can’t wait to begin working with new companies and promoting the UK as a global centre for developing connected and automated mobility technologies.”

Managed by Zenzic, the organisation set up by the UK Government and industry to champion and grow the nation’s UK Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) eccosystem, CAM Testbed UK is a comprehensive and coordinated set of world-leading facilities for modelling, simulation, testing and trial  deployment.

By expanding the collaboration between testbeds through the addition of Catesby Tunnel to its network, the organisation is aiming to cement the UK as a leading player in the global transport revolution.

Existing members include UTAC Millbrook – Culham and ASSURED CAV, which offer controlled testing facilities, as well as Smart Mobility Living Lab London and Midlands Future Mobility, which provide spaces for testing in a public environment. Completing the group is data exchange expert, Convex.

“We are delighted to welcome Catesby Projects to our ever-growing CAM Testbed UK network,” said Mark Cracknell, Programme Director at Zenzic. “CAM Testbed UK was set up to help provide industry and academics with the facillities and support required to increase the technology readiness levels of new innovations that can help drive the sector forward and the addition of Catesby will further build on that.”

“CAM Testbed UK provides an environment where technologies can be tested rigurously in situations that are as close to every-day driving conditions as humanly possible, speeding up development times while breaking down barriers to market deployment. It will provide a real boost to the industry.”

Jonathan Eaton, Independent Chair of CAM Testbed UK said: “The UK verification and validation services for CAM technologies goes from strength to strength and we are keen to expand CAM Testbed UK to include other facilities that bring additional opportunities for companies to develop their products and services in the UK for this dynamic global market. Catesby Tunnel complements the offering of the other testbeds exceptionally well and I am thrilled to have them on board and look forward to working with John Paton (Managing Director) and the Catesby Projects team.”

To find out more click here.