Horizon Aircraft partners with ZeroAvia for regional hydrogen-electric VTOL development.

New Horizon Aircraft and ZeroAvia are partnering to develop regional hydrogen-electric VTOL air travel. The companies will cooperate on exploring zero-emission power systems and evaluate ZeroAvia's ZA600 powertrain in the Cavorite X7 eVTOL aircraft. The partnership aims to accelerate research into necessary infrastructure and certification guidelines for a zero-emission pathway for Horizon Aircraft.

The UK government has announced the launch of DRIVE35, a £2.5 billion investment programme aimed at bolstering the country's automotive sector. The initiative, part of the UK's modern Industrial Strategy, aims to support the transition to zero-emission vehicle manufacturing and create thousands of jobs across the UK. The programme, which includes new and improved funding competitions, will fund a wide range of projects from start-ups to established high-volume manufacturers.

The DRIVE35 programme will commit £2 billion in funding to 2030, with an additional £500 million for research and development to 2035. This ten-year commitment signals the government's long-term support for UK automotive innovation. The funding will provide certainty to the sector, encouraging innovators to invest in the UK and supporting research and development in zero-emission vehicles, batteries, and their supply chains.

The automotive sector contributed £21.4 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy in 2024 and currently employs 132,000 people. The transition to zero emissions is seen as a significant opportunity to attract investment, harness British innovation, and drive economic growth. The UK was the largest EV market in Europe in 2024 and the third in the world, with over 382,000 EVs sold.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds highlighted the importance of the initiative, stating that it will help British carmakers get to the front of the pack by building a globally competitive electric vehicle supply chain. The programme will also secure a landmark trade deal with the US to bring down tariffs for British car manufacturers and lower electricity prices as part of the modern Industrial Strategy.

DRIVE35 builds on previous successes, such as the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) and the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) R&D competitions, which leveraged over £6 billion of private sector investment. The new programme will be delivered by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in partnership with APC UK and Innovate UK.

The funding will be allocated across three pillars: Transformation, Scale Up, and Innovation. The Transformation pillar will focus on large-scale capital investments, the Scale Up pillar will support businesses with strategic thinking on scaling up, and the Innovation pillar will fund early and late-stage R&D projects involving innovative technologies and processes.

The programme is set to create tens of thousands of new jobs, stimulate billions in economic growth, and cut millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions. The UK's leadership in automotive manufacturing is expected to continue with the support of DRIVE35.

References:
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/backing-british-industry-government-launches-25bn-drive35-programme-to-power-uk-auto-investment-and-jobs