Future Pathway UK: Advanced R&D and Process Development for Integrated eDrive Manufacture

Future Pathway UK, is a collaborative, industry-led feasibility study between GKN Automotive Innovation Centre, Belcan and the University of Nottingham.

The purpose of this feasibility study is to assess the viability of UK manufacture of electric drive and power electronics for global mass-market applications and recommend the pathway to achieve a globally competitive investment case for prospective Industrials. The study will be based upon a blueprint for the technology, design and manufacturing process that will enable cost-effective, efficient, durable and safe machines to be developed and manufactured from Niche to Global scale in the UK.

Global mass adoption of electric drive, with the human benefits of vastly reduced street-level toxic emission, is being hampered by the high cost of the systems. The reduction in CO2 produced by utilising xEV cars is offset by the high level of CO2 embedded in their manufacture. For an SUV BEV, where the energy consumed for manufacturing is coal-powered, it could take the life of the car to recover the offset, even on a current European electricity mix this can be over 50,000km.

GKN Automotive is the world leader in developing and supplying (P4) Axle-mounted eDrive. They have supplied over 1 million units to the world's global carmakers; BMW, Volvo, Peugeot, Porsche, FCA, JLR and London Taxi. They will lead and provide the critical design parameters.

UoN will apply Life-Cycle-Analysis (LCA) methodology from the outset, studying the impact of design, process and manufacture in the UK, EU and China on total embedded CO2\.

Belcan, a specialist in supply chain development for the automotive industry, will apply techno-economic analysis against potential technologies and provide an understanding of the commercial trade-off between flexibility, cost, embedded CO2 and performance. Belcan will also examine the UK supply chain availability to support volume EDU manufacture.

Combining LCA and TEA will help to configure an optimal system enabling flexible and scaleable manufacture of eDrives from 50 -- 250kW covering current level hybrid vehicles through to performance BEV. With EDU designed to minimise embedded GHG and ease of recycling, whilst being globally cost-competitive.

The goal is to understand the opportunities and risk mitigations fully, that would make the UK a cost-competitive country option for the expansion of flexible and scalable EDU manufacture. This will ultimately safeguard jobs, lock UK innovation, increase GDP, support the UK's net-zero CO2 ambitions and ensure the UK is ahead of the competition.