Aston Martin’s Sustainable Aluminum Project Secures £6 Million UK Government Funding

• Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) funding to supplement the research and development of 100% recycled aluminium castings, for future Aston Martin models

17 September 2024, Gaydon, UK: Aston Martin’s ambition to continually improve the sustainability of its supply chain has been boosted by the award of £6million of UK Government funding for an innovative project supporting the development of lightweight, sustainable aluminium castings for Aston Martin vehicles of the future.

Awarded through the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) following a competitive process, the government grant will support Project PIVOT, a collaborative five-partner research and development project led by Coventry-based aluminium supplier Sarginsons. Supported by Aston Martin, the project seeks to revolutionise the global casting industry through overhauling the design, weight, carbon emissions and production of cast aluminium, allowing the adoption of 100% recycled content.

Today’s funding announcement is another positive step in Aston Martin’s sustainability strategy ‘Racing. Green.’ which incorporates efforts to improve the environmental impact of the company’s supply chain. In August, Aston Martin formally joined Drive Sustainability, a partnership of 16 automotive manufacturers working together to improve the social, ethical, and environmental performance of automotive supply chains, facilitated by CSR Europe.

Roberto Fedeli, Group Chief Technology Officer of Aston Martin, said: “The award of funding from the APC is a major boost to Project PIVOT, which seeks to leverage advanced metal solidification and digital-twin simulations to manufacture low-carbon alloys which will ultimately uplift the level of recycled content we feature in Aston Martin models. We look forward to progressing this project collaboratively with Sarginsons and our other research partners. We thank the APC for their incredible support, following on from their backing of our electrification programme last year.”

Ian Constance, APC Chief Executive, said: “These collaborative projects will further advance the UK’s excellence in automotive production. From sustainable materials to advanced electronics, and smart software systems, it’s important we continue to demonstrate that the automotive sector is vital to the country’s net-zero goals and that it is a highly investable opportunity.”

Aston Martin is developing alternatives to the Internal Combustion Engine as part of its blended powertrain approach that will see the introduction of plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles, the first of which, Valhalla, is targeted to enter full production later this year before commencing delivery in 2025.