The government has announced over £30 million of investment for battery technology, the electric vehicle supply chain and hydrogen vehicles.
Minister for Investment Gerry Grimstone yesterday (30 March) announced that 22 studies will receive a share of £9.4 million, including Haydale Composites Solutions which is looking into hydrogen storage.
Additionally, the Faraday Institution has committed to a £22.6 million programme of work to improve the safety, reliability and sustainability of batteries.
This will include investigating the root causes of cell failure in lithium-ion batteries and how this can lead to fires, as well as the environmental consequences of such fires. The Faraday Institution will also look at solid state batteries, and the long term potential they offer for safety improvements and increased range of electric vehicles.
Finally, the funding will allow the Faraday Institution to look further into recycling and reusing batteries, in particular to increase the sustainability of the future automotive supply chain.
Grimstone pointed to the UK’s 2030 target to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, adding that to to support this target “it is crucial we invest in research so we can power ahead with the shift to electric vehicles as we build back greener from the pandemic”.
“The world leading research announced today showcases the very best of British innovation and it will support all stages of the automotive supply chain to make the switch to electric vehicles – from developing batteries, to exploring how to recycle them.”
The investment follows £10 million opened by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in October, which provided funding for innovative battery technologies for electric vehicles.
Randolph Brazier, director of innovation and electricity systems at Energy Networks Association businesses said the investment into the research of hydrogen and batteries was “encouraging”.
“More renewables and batteries are being connected to the grid, the number of electric vehicles on the road is increasing, while hydrogen will slash emissions from heavier goods vehicles. The UK’s energy networks will continue our relentless focus on innovation, making sure that customers across the country see the benefits of a smarter, net zero energy system.”
