A new report published by UK Research and Innovation’s Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), has set out five key recommendations to support the sustainable future of the automotive industry.
The report, carried out by Ricardo, delves into the crucial material challenges and requirements for the automotive industry such as the development of new innovative materials, including lightweight alloys and natural fibre composites, to enable the production of lightweight vehicles with a lower carbon footprint.
Other challenges include enhanced materials sorting methods to increase the supply of recycled materials. Any new and recycled materials must also be cost competitive, whilst maintaining safety, quality, durability, and performance standards.
The study recommends several high-level interventions to address these challenges:
- Further research and development: Research should be targeted to address gaps where the further development of materials or production methods is needed such as materials separation and recycling;
- Capacity building: Meeting the pace of change needed in material adoption means equipping the industry with the necessary skills and knowledge to produce and utilise lightweight and/or low-carbon materials rather than traditional ones
- Commercialisation support: Addressing the challenge of new product supply chains reaching sufficient scale and reducing costs to be competitive with traditional materials
- The establishment of a stakeholder community: Enabling greater collaboration and dialogue between stakeholders in the foundation and automotive industries, to overcome the cross-sector challenges for innovative material adoption
- Policy development: Introducing standards for recycled materials, improving the End-of-Life Vehicle Directive, and supporting new recycling facilities.
Neelam Mughal, Knowledge Transfer Manager, Advanced Materials at Innovate UK Business Connect, said: “This report makes it clear that building a sustainable automotive industry will be a collective effort, from the materials producers, vehicle manufacturers, consumers as well as policy makers. By leveraging insights into the material and technology demands from this report and engaging stakeholders across the supply chain, we can chart a course towards a more innovative and resilient automotive sector in the UK.”
Matthew Moss, Senior Consultant and Project Manager at Ricardo, said: “We were delighted to be appointed by UKRI's Transforming the Foundation Industries Challenge to conduct this study. Our research and stakeholder engagement identified critical innovation challenges and opportunities in the automotive sector, including lightweighting, reducing carbon intensity, and increasing material circularity. We are excited to continue our work in this field and contribute to developing viable solutions for the industry.”
Roger Morton, Managing Director for Technology and Innovation, EMR, added: “This report gives much food for thought in our industry. This is truly a pivot point for manufacturers, and the choices made in the coming months could define the future of the automotive industry.”