Carr announces next round of green grants
The government abandoned its Green Car Innovation Fund months ago, but the gift keeps giving to those who got in beforehand.Innovation minister Kim Carr has announced four new recipients of the defunct GCIF, part of the government’s $5.4 billion New Car Plan designed to help bolster the Australian auto industry against the uncertainties of future carbon reduction policies and provide incentive to invest in carbon reduction technologies.
The four component manufacturers granted a total of $6.2 million applied before the government closed the fund’s doors in January to divert money to flood recovery efforts.
Research outfit Cfusion, working at Deakin University’s Proof of Concept labs in Geelong, has come up with what it claims is the world’s first one-piece carbon fibre wheel. It has received a grant of around $1.4 million to commercialise the concept.
At about half the weight of conventional aluminium alloy wheels, it has already attracted the attention of specialist performance manufacturers. American niche maker Shelby SuperCars, a contender to outdo Bugatti for title of the maker of the world’s fastest consumer automobile, has reportedly been keen for some time.
South Australian rubber and plastics specialist Toyoda Gosei Australia gains funding of more than $2.3 million for a technology upgrade designed to help reduce the weight of its body sealants, interior trim plastics and safety gear such as airbag modules.
Melbourne-based composites specialist Composite Materials Engineering (CME) gets $797,399 to expand on a high strength, lightweight sandwich panel product to dramatically reduce the weight of vehicle load floors with no compromise to their strength.
Sydney-based broad-spectrum engineering company Hirotec gains over $1.6 million to continue its work on lightweight components such as aluminium hoods and deck lids.
“The components being developed to retool our automotive industry will help cars that are friendlier on the environment and the pocket – in this case, we expect the four projects will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 133,000 tonnes and significantly reduce fuel consumption,” Senator Carr (pictured here with Holden MD Mike Devereux) said in a statement.
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