Skip to main content

Innovative clean vehicle boost

Clean vehicle technology specialist Zytek looks set to invest in developing new drivetrain technologies.
March 2, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Clean vehicle technology specialist Zytek looks set to invest in developing new drivetrain technologies. This comes following the award of a grant worth €1.57 million from the UK Government's Regional Growth Fund, which will support the development of an Electric Powertrain Technologies Centre.

The facility will be based at the Zytek's technical centre in Staffordshire (UK) and will be used to develop low carbon technologies for the automotive industry and other sectors.

In the future a further €4.23 million will be invested by Zytek, bringing the total up to €5.8 million. The firm has considerable experience developing and integrating advanced electric and hybrid powertrains for leading vehicle manufacturers. This new grant and future financing will ensure that the firm continues to drive innovation, allowing it to introduce next-generation technologies that will improve the range and cost of electric and hybrid vehicles.

The main focus of the centre will be on the development of high-efficiency, light-weight electric motors, inverters and energy storage systems. The company points out that electric vehicles are at an interesting phase in their development, with significant improvements being in power electronics and energy storage systems.

3556 Zytek Automotive has designed and integrated electric drive systems for a wide range of European and US vehicle manufacturers. The company is currently building high performance electric drivetrains from 25kW -70kW and has drives of 100kW and more in development to meet growing demand for zero emissions light commercial vehicles and high-performance passenger cars.

The UK facility can integrate up to 6,000 E drives a year in batches as low as 100, providing vehicle manufacturers with a highly flexible specialist production resource for its low carbon vehicle programmes.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Innovative solutions to earthmoving needs
    January 17, 2013
    Several manufacturers are offering improved earthmoving machines, with more to come - Mike Woof reports One of the most notable developments comes from Caterpillar, with the unveiling of a hybrid excavator in the shape of its 336E H model. The machine is having its public launch at the bauma exhibition in Spring 2013 and will start rolling out of the factory in March 2013, while customers will be able to place orders from February 2013. Unlike other hybrid excavators on the market at present, the Cat 336E
  • Volvo CE’s electric quarry operation commences trials
    August 29, 2018
    Volvo CE is commencing operations of its low emission quarrying operation in Sweden. The facility has a strong focus on electric machines, with diesel-electric hybrid equipment also being used. According to the firm, this is a world first for a quarry facility that can be run almost 'emission-free'. Volvo CE and its customer Skanska have now commenced testing the viability of the Electric Site concept at Skanska’s Vikan Kross quarry, located near Gothenburg in Sweden. The production system at the site
  • Hitachi debuts its hybrid hydraulic excavator ZH210-6 in Europe
    November 14, 2017
    The ZH210-6 was presented by the Hitachi official Belgium dealer Luyckx at the recent Matexpo biennial trade fair in the Kortrijk Xpo centre. Kortrijk Xpo, in the West Flanders city of Kortrijk, is one of the country’s largest indoor exposition arenas. Hitachi said that the ZH210-6 has the lowest ever fuel consumption for a Hitachi medium hydraulic excavator. It has an advanced hydraulic system and a new lightweight arm.
  • Cummins signs deal to supply hydrogen engines
    January 5, 2024

    Cummins has signed an agreement with Terex Advance Mixer, a subsidiary of Terex Corporation, Edge Materials and PCC Hydrogen, to develop hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engines for use in concrete mixer trucks.

    The project aims to develop a full hydrogen ecosystem with a hydrogen producer, vehicle manufacturer and end user. It is the first agreement of its kind signed by Cummins. The four companies will unite their efforts to see Cummins' X15H hydrogen internal combustion engines integrated into the Terex Advance Commander Series of front-discharge concrete mixer trucks.