Powertrain
Engine development and manufacture are major strengths of the UK automotive sector and have undergone a period of impressive growth in recent years. In 2004 production exceeded 2.7million automotive engines with non automotive output taking the total to over 3 million. Substantial new investments have been made at a number of locations both in developing existing facilities and establishing new ones. The UK is a significant net exporter of automotive engines.
UK engine production is principally for passenger cars; however engines for commercial vehicles, agriculture, motorsport, motorbikes and non automotive sectors, for example marine and power generation, are also of significance.
Ford is by far the largest engine producer in the UK with two major plants: Bridgend and Dagenham producing around 25% of their global engine supply in the UK. Toyota, Nissan, Honda and BMW have medium to high volume plants. Cummins (commercial vehicle engines) and Perkins (commercial vehicle engines and non automotive engines) have major production facilities in the UK.
The UK is a major force in the areas of technical innovation and development. There is a comprehensive research and development infrastructure that includes vehicle and engine test facilities, design engineering consultancies, specialised new technology R&D companies and a vibrant academic community. There are special academic networks in the fields of: Powertrain systems and driveline technologies, fuel cells and battery vehicles, sustainable power generation and supply. The development of racing engine capability is also a significant UK strength.
The important suppliers of contract engine design and testing capability are: Cosworth Technology, Lotus Engineering, Millbrook, Pi Tech, Prodrive, Ricardo, TRW Conekt and Zytek.
The June 2005 DTI report “A study of the UK Automotive Engine Industry” in pdf version is an overview of the industry, the key technologies impacting on the sector and Government initiatives in the context of research and innovation. It can be viewed at http://www.autoindustry.co.uk/docs/EngineReportUpdate.pdf .
Powertrain
