UK battery centre sees £28m boost
UKBIC in Coventry will provide world-leading testing facilities for new battery technologiesis a stepping stone to a battery gigafactory, says Andrew Stephenson, Minister for Business and Industry, announcing the extra cash.
“Putting the UK at the forefront of the design and manufacturing of zero emission vehicles is at the heart of our plans – creating jobs, growth and opportunity across the country,” said Stephenson. “This investment puts the UK – amongst a handful of countries around the world – on the next step to meet the challenge by the future of mobility. Our investment of £28 million in this new facility will support the UK’s world-leading automotive industry to compete internationally, attract further investment and establish supply chains for new electric vehicle battery design and development.”
“For Coventry to boast the UK’s Battery Industrialisation Centre is a major coup for the city and the wider West Midlands,” said Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street. “This £108 million facility will give the city and the region a huge boost in the race to lead the world in the production of electric vehicles, which is an increasingly important market as we look to tackle air pollution and climate change.”
“It is fantastic to see construction starting on UKBIC and we are looking forward to working with all our partners on this project which will have huge significance on the next generation of battery systems,” said Jeff Pratt, the new Managing Director of UKBIC.
The Centre comes under the UK’s Faraday Challenge. “This new world-class facility will allow the UK to rigorously prepare our home-grown battery technologies for global competitiveness. This additional investment will mean its ambitious facilities will be expanded and improved to meet the soaring demand of the electric vehicle global market,” said Tony Harper, Faraday Battery Challenge Director at UK Research and Innovation.
The region aims to deploy the first fully operational connected autonomous vehicles in advance of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, driving investment into electric vehicle manufacturing alongside completing UKBIC.
Related UKBIC stories:
- NEW BOSS TO BUILD £80M UK BATTERY CENTRE
- UK APPOINTS A THIRD BATTERY SUPREMO
- FIRST FOUR PROJECTS FOR UK’S FARADAY BATTERY TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
- ILIKA LEADS ON KEY UK FAST CHARGING SOLID STATE BATTERY PROJECT
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