Green light for ultra-fast electric car charging innovation

A pioneering new technology enabling the next generation of safer, high-powered electric car batteries to be charged in ultra-fast time is just one of 12 innovation projects to receive the green light from the government’s Faraday Battery Challenge.

The PowerDrive Line project, led by Southampton-based company Ilika, focuses on solid state battery cell development. Principally on how to manufacture at scale in the UK; building ultra-fast charging technology of less than 25 minutes for a vehicle.

In total £22 million grants are being rewarded to consortia across the UK as part of the latest round of funding through the Faraday Battery Challenge, part of the government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF).

The funding is key to realising the Government’s ambitions for innovative energy solutions as set out in our modern Industrial Strategy. The Faraday Battery Challenge brings together world-leading research and industry to accelerate the development of battery technologies.

Other major R&D projects funded include:

• A revolutionary approach to battery management led by Williams Advanced Engineering;
• A McLaren Automotive led consortium project that aims to accelerate the development of electrified powertrains
• A revolutionary battery recycling project that will develop the first UK industrial scale capability to reclaim and reuse battery essential metals. This project is being led by Cheshire-based ICoNiChem and involves Jaguar Land Rover.
• An Aston Martin Lagonda project into the development of better performance battery packs.

Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said:

Innovative battery technology is changing the way we live, travel and work and the Government is committed to putting Britain at the heart of this energy revolution. Today’s £22 million investment in world-leading R&D projects is an example of our modern Industrial Strategy in action and will help pioneering companies realise the economic benefits the global transition to a low carbon economy offers.

UK Research and Innovation chief executive Professor Sir Mark Walport said:

Effective, efficient and sustainable transport is key to addressing so many of today’s challenges from industrial growth to social inclusion. Through advanced battery technology, we will unlock a new generation of electric vehicles, further improving vehicle performance and uptake, opening doors to innovative new transport ideas and significantly reducing environmental impacts. Today’s investment shows we are catalysing collaboration between research teams and commercial partners across the UK to make this a reality.

Battery Challenge Director Tony Harper said:

This latest round of cutting-edge R&D projects illustrate the quality of innovations coming from our research and industrial base, and reinforce why the UK is a world-leader in battery technology development.