Battery technology investor Britishvolt has made several recent announcements concerning its development of EV cell technology.
The news has come in the same week that Britishvolt extended its contract with Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), part of the University of Warwick, which provides research, education and knowledge transfer in engineering, management, manufacturing and technology.
The multi-million pound project with WMG is set to accelerate Britishvolt’s plan to build a 38GWh battery gigaplant in Northumberland.
Britishvolt also intends to scale-up its production centre at Hams Hall, West Midlands, delivering a so-called ‘battery corridor’ connected to the company’s Northumberland site.
Britishvolt claims the gigaplant will build enough cells per year for more than 300,000 EV battery packs, which is equivalent to 25% of current UK vehicle manufacture.
The company has also announced that it is developing larger format 46900 battery cells, which will use lithium-ion technology designed for high-performance EVs.
The update follows Britishvolt’s recent acquisition of German battery-cell developer EAS in a £30m deal.
The 46900 format is to be developed and prototyped at the EAS facility, before being transferred to the Hams Hall site ahead of large-scale production at the company’s Northumberland plant.
Orral Nadjari, founder and CEO of Britishvolt, said: “Critically, we will be able to build these game-changing cells in a truly sustainable, low carbon way.
“We start with digital twin/simulation modelling, exactly the same way we did with our 21700 cell development, and then move on to physical prototyping.
“This improves efficiency, reduces waste, lowers costs and makes us leaner and more agile. We can also tailor the length of the cell to suit specific applications.
“This is a unique Britishvolt proposition that will also help anchor the UK as a global battery leader and home to leading battery innovation.”
