48V Town & Country Hybrid Powertrain (TC48)

A small car converted to a plug-in hybrid will drive 15 miles on electric power alone, then switch seamlessly to a novel rotary engine for longer journeys, at an extra manufacturing cost of £1,745. This matters because most affordable hybrid and electric vehicles still rely on expensive rare-earth magnets in their motors, which are costly and geopolitically sensitive to source. The project uses switched reluctance motors that contain no rare-earth magnets, developed by Newcastle University, paired with automotive microcontrollers from Infineon Technologies. Tata Steel and the AMSCI Proving Factory are involved to ensure the powertrain is designed for volume manufacture from the start. If successful, the project could deliver a plug-in hybrid powertrain that achieves 112 miles per gallon equivalent and emits 52g/km of CO₂, with the upfront cost repaid through fuel savings in under two years without subsidy. This would make low-emission driving far more accessible to ordinary car buyers, reducing urban air pollution and cutting household fuel bills. The work also strengthens the UK supply chain for advanced manufacturing of electric-drive components, a sector that quietly underpins the automotive industry’s shift away from fossil fuels.