The UK government is providing up to £42 million of funding for battery research to accelerate the development of electric vehicles. Research will focus on four major projects, with universities working together with industry partners to create practical solutions.
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Faraday Institution
The Faraday Institution is an independent national battery research institute, formed in October 2017 as part of the government’s £246 million investment in battery technology. The organisation was formed to achieve the government’s aims of making the UK a global leader in battery technology, bringing more electric vehicles onto our roads in the near future and decarbonising our energy supply, to benefit the environment.
[testimonial author=”Richard Harrington, Business Minister”]With 200,000 electric vehicles set to be on UK roads by the end of 2018 and worldwide sales growing by 45 per cent in 2016, investment in car batteries is a massive opportunity for Britain and one that is estimated to be worth £5 billion by 2025.
Through our flagship Industrial Strategy and its Future of Mobility and Clean Growth Grand Challenges, we are committed to making Britain the ‘go-to’ destination for the development and deployment of this game-changing technology.
Government investment, through the Faraday Institution, in the projects announced today will deliver valuable research that will help us seize the economic opportunities presented by battery technology and our transition to a low-carbon economy.
[/testimonial]
Battery Research Projects
Four projects have been announced to focus this research. They will involve the collaboration of research institutes and industry, working in close partnership to produce practical solutions. Industrial partners are also contributing a total of £4.6 million in in-kind support to these projects:
1) Extending Battery Life
This project will examine how environmental and internal battery stresses (eg high temperatures, charge and discharge rates) affect electric vehicle batteries over time. This aims to:
- Extend battery life by optimising battery materials and cells (and EV range)
- Reduce battery costs
- Improve battery safety
Led by the University of Cambridge with nine other universities and 10 industry partners.
2) Battery System Modelling
This project will develop new software to understand and predict battery performance. This aims to:
- Relate information about battery materials at atomic level to the final product
- Create accurate models to extend lifetime and performance
- Improve performance at low temperatures
Led by Imperial College London together with six other universities and 17 industry partners.
3) Recycling and Re-use
This project will examine how used lithium batteries can be recycled. This aims to:
- Recycle 100% of the battery
- Determine how to re-use batteries and their materials
- Make better use of global resources
- Improve air quality and de-carbonisation
Led by the University of Birmingham, with seven other academic institutions and 14 industrial partners.
4) Next Generation Solid-State Batteries
The final project will break down the barriers that limit the route to market of solid-state batteries. This aims to:
- Develop lighter, safer solid-state batteries
- Reduce costs
- Reduce reliance on cooling systems
- Investigate the feasibility of a solid-state battery as a superior alternative to Li-ion for electric vehicles
Led by the University of Oxford together with six other universities and nine industrial partners.
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Instruments for Energy Storage Research
Blue Scientific offers a range of instruments for various areas of energy storage research. The applications mentioned below are not exhaustive – we can advise on which systems will provide the results you need.
Micro-CT
- Non-destructive internal imaging
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Further Information and Advice
We are available to advise on the best systems for your area of research – just get in touch to discuss your area of research:
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