The British government and the auto industry has invested £1 billion in their industry’s strategy for building greener and more efficient car engines. It took a major step forward today with the appointment of two key figures in the British auto sector.
Dr. Gerhard Schmidt and Tony Pixton – who both have extensive experience in the industry – have been appointed as Chair and Chief Executive of the newly formed Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC).
Part of the automotive industrial strategy, the APC will channel £1 billion of investment from Government and industry over the next ten years to speed up the development of greener technologies for engines. Widely backed across the sector, including supply chain companies, the centre is expected to secure up to 30,000 jobs currently linked to producing engines and create many more in the supply chain.
Dr. Gerhard Schmidt worked at BMW for 21 years in engine research and development and recently spent many years in the role of Chief Technical Officer at Ford. Tony Pixton brings 35 years of experience in the automotive industry to the role, with previous positions in product development at Ford and Volvo and most recently at Mazda in Japan.
It’s a pity that here in Ireland, the only Irish Government involvement with the auto industry and motorists is how much they can scalp for the exchequer!
