Funding for EV battery technology capable of ultra-fast charging

£22 million of the government’s industrial strategy funding has been awarded to projects that develop new technologies to create safer, high-powered electric car batteries.

One of the projects is a pioneering technology to ensure a next generation of safer, high-powered electric car batteries can be charged by drivers in ultra-fast time.

The PowerDrive Line project being led by Southampton-based company Ilika is focusing on sold state battery cell development, in particular how to manufacture at scale in the UK and how to build in ultra-fast charging technology of less than 25 minutes for a vehicle as is seen in some current battery systems.

Other projects 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; and 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

Funding is also going towards the Aston Martin Lagonda project, which is developing better performance battery packs.

This is the latest round of funding through the Faraday Battery Challenge, part of the government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.