mi Technology Group – North West-led consortium wins funding for a ‘Car for Young Drivers’ project
A North West-led consortium has been successful in winning funding from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles and the Technology Strategy Board for a ‘Car for Young Drivers’ project.
Led by mi Technology Group, the other project partners are Juno Racing, Oaktec, Gotec Vehicle Systems, the University of Central Lancashire and the Northwest Automotive Alliance.
The ‘Car for Young Drivers’ project will produce a vehicle for two people that has novel hybrid driveline technology, a lightweight impact-resistant body and features designed specifically to appeal to young drivers.
The aim of the project is to alleviate the issues associated with getting young drivers safely integrated into the vehicle-owning and driving population. This will be achieved by creating a new type of car, designed from first principles, with support from the insurance industry, in order to massively reduce risks for young drivers.
The vehicle will feature extremely safe construction and advanced occupant protection systems, it will be lightweight to minimise damage to other road users and minimise fuel consumption, and it will have an advanced, hybrid-electric engine for outstanding levels of economy and limited performance.
There will also be on-board monitoring, driver feedback systems.
The announcement that this project had been successful in achieving funding came at a time when the media reported that car insurance premiums had reached an all-time high, and that the average premium for male drivers aged 17-22 was £2,792. (Source: Daily Mail).
Over 750,000 people pass their driving test in the UK every year so there is a huge opportunity for the right vehicle, marketed in the right way at an affordable price.
The North West-led initiative was one of 17 projects to receive funding – in total receiving more than £27 million of public funding, together with £29 million of private sector finance, to fund the development of low and ultra-low carbon technologies that will keep the UK industry at the forefront of the global low carbon agenda.
