Over £30m to boost battery technology and hydrogen vehicles

The government is investing over £30 million into projects that research battery technology, the electric vehicle supply chain and hydrogen vehicles.

Twenty two studies will receive a share of £9.4 million, including proposals to build a plant in Cornwall that will extract lithium for use in electric vehicle batteries, a plant to build specialised magnets for electric vehicle motors in Cheshire and lightweight hydrogen storage for cars and vans in Loughborough.

The government-backed Faraday Institution is also committing £22.6 million to continue its work to further improve the safety, reliability and sustainability of batteries.

This funding comes ahead of the phasing out of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, as pledged in the government’s 10 Point Plan for a green industrial revolution. Research into alternative ways to power vehicles is a fundamental part of this transition, ensuring the UK remains a world leader in automotive technology and boosting jobs and skills in regions leading the way.

Investment in battery technology will help motorists and the environment by improving performance and reducing costs of electric vehicles. It is also good for businesses and workers, supporting the creation of new jobs, new industries and the development of technologies to power the automotive and energy revolution in the UK.

One of the projects include a study into Lithium hydroxide, which is an essential part of vehicle battery production. This study will assess the feasibility of developing a sustainable UK supply chain through the construction of an extraction plant that will produce low-carbon lithium hydroxide from a hard rock source in St Austell.

Another project examines a promising approach to create a new UK magnet plant that will produce high-quality lightweight magnets for motors in electric vehicles, while another investigates hydrogen storage for vehicles.
The Faraday institution will use today’s funding to explore:

Other projects look into battery safety, solid state batteries, and recycling and reusing batteries to increase the sustainability of the future automotive supply chain.

The Faraday Institution will also examine the use of batteries on the energy grid and for aerospace. Under the Institution’s strengthened commercialisation strategy, which has also been launched today, it will identify and target market opportunities, ensuring that the UK remains a competitive global leader in the latest battery technology.

The research announced today through the Advanced Propulsion Centre and the Faraday Institution demonstrates the government’s commitment to nurturing innovation in the automotive industry. The government is committed to advance the UK’s future transport system through its extensive R&D Roadmap and to increase economy-wide R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027.