london tata motors owned jaguar land rover jlr is among three new research and development projects to have won the backing of the uk governments 25million pounds grant aimed at accelerating the development of innovative lowcarbon vehicle technologiesthe funding will be provided through the uks advanced propulsion centre apc enabling jlr and others to drive the development of lowcarbon propulsion technologies and their supply chainsthe centre will help jlr adapt their existing engine production facilities to be capable of making electric vehicles uk business and energy secretary greg clark said at the annual society of motor manufacturers and traders smmt event in london on tuesdayhe said that modern industrial strategies are being used to unlock economic opportunitiesthrough our modern industrial strategy we are harnessing our globallyrenowned automotive heritage and engineering excellence to unlock the economic opportunities future vehicle technologies present to businesses across the country he saidjlrs project will bring together a consortium of academic and industry partners with the aim of developing strategies and capabilities to produce electric drive units alongside internal combustion engines at its manufacturing facilitiesa second project led by ford will work with a consortium to collaborate on the development of digital engineering tools for a new engineering process that enables the next generation of electrified commercial vehicle technologies to be developed and brought to the market much quickerthe third major rd project will be led by arcola energy to bring to market complete fuel cell electric powertrains develop an integrated motor drive unit strengthen uk capability in battery packs supply and demonstrate hydrogen technology on a commercial vehiclethe projects valued at 54 million pounds in total including the grant funding from the apc are expected to save around 25 million tonnes of co2 and help build the future of major uk automotive facilities creating and safeguarding a total of 1750 jobsthe announcement coincided with a new survey released by uk automotive representative organisation smmt which warned the government against the catastrophe of a nodeal brexitmore than half of auto industry respondents to the survey said their operations have already suffered as a result of uncertainty about future trading arrangements and almost a third said they had postponed or cancelled uk investment decisions because of brexitfrictionless trade as part of the eu single market and customs union has driven the success of the uk automotive industry so the fact we are leaving is already painful and already causing damage leaving without a deal would be catastrophic plants will close jobs will be lost mike hawes smmt chief executive saidin muchneeded support to british prime minister theresa mays recently concluded brexit withdrawal agreement he said leaving is not what we wanted but we recognise that the withdrawal agreement has been hardfought and crucially delivers a transition period which steps us back from the cliffedgeno deal is not an option in the short term crashing out of the eu would have immediate and devastating impacts with border chaos disrupting the justintime basis on which our business depends