£13m boost for EV batteries technology

The UK Government has announced plans for a £13 million research centre to boost the development of hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) batteries. It claims the new ‘UK Energy Storage […]

The UK Government has announced plans for a £13 million research centre to boost the development of hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

It claims the new ‘UK Energy Storage R&D Centre’ at the University of Warwick, which will build on the nation’s expertise in electrochemistry, is a move to secure future growth opportunities for the UK’s automotive sector.

The centre will focus on developing batteries for low and ultra-low carbon vehicles initially and extend to energy storage in the future for other modes of transport such as commercial vehicles, rail and marine.

David Bott, Director of Innovation Programmes at the Technology Strategy Board said: “The establishment of this centre will help to increase the global competitiveness of the UK’s emerging low carbon vehicles industry. By locating the centre within the new High Value Manufacturing Catapult, it will be possible to draw on capabilities that have already been developed in energy storage and help to speed up the commercialisation of new products. The benefits that this centre brings will also spill over into wider markets.”

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) provided £9 million of the funding while the rest was delivered by the industry.

The electric and hybrid vehicle battery market has been estimated to be worth £250 million for the UK by 2020.

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