Britain’s government-backed Faraday Battery Challenge has awarded GBP22m (US$29.2m) to 12 projects, including the PowerDrive Line innovation for electric cars.
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.
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In total GBP22m in grants are being awarded 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.
The funding is key to realising the government’s ambitions for energy solutions as set out in the British government’s Industrial Strategy. The Faraday Battery Challenge brings together research and business to accelerate the work needed to develop battery technologies.
Other major R&D projects funded include:
- Battery management led by Williams Advanced Engineering
- A McLaren Automotive-led consortium project aiming to accelerate the development of electrified powertrains
- A battery recycling project to 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.
“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,” said UK Business and Energy Secretary, Greg Clark.
“The GBP22m investment in 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.”
