Britishvolt, the UK’s foremost investor in battery cell technologies and associated R&D to create homegrown intellectual property, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UK sports car manufacturer Lotus to demonstrate tailor-made battery cells.

The partnership will focus on the co-development of an innovative new battery cell package to power the next generation of electric sports cars from Lotus. The package is set to feature in a new sports car, powered by Britishvolt cells and utilizing advanced electric propulsion technologies developed by Lotus.

The companies will work on integrating cell formats and chemistry that provide enhanced energy density and power capability, fast-charging and other specifications.

Development work on the project will benefit from the close proximity of Lotus and Britishvolt’s R&D centers of excellence in the West Midlands, the UK’s ‘golden triangle’ of battery development. The Lotus Advanced Technology Centre (LATC) opened in Wellesbourne in 2020 as the global headquarters of Lotus Engineering, the consultancy division of the business.

The collaboration with Britishvolt is another significant development in the ongoing transformation of Lotus from a UK sports car company to a global and all-electric performance car business and brand. It follows a £100-million (US$134 million) investment by Lotus in its UK facilities, which includes manufacturing centers at Hethel for the Evija pure electric hypercar and Emira sports car.

Earlier, Britishvolt announced a two-year, multi-million pound (£) co-development framework with the UK Battery Industrialization Centre (UKBIC) to produce its next generation of battery cells.

Initial solutions will focus on high nickel, increased energy density, materials to produce and test batteries with greater performance and range.

Britishvolt is moving ahead with its plans for its first full-scale electric-vehicle Gigaplant in Northumberland; the project is receiving support from the Government through its Automotive Transformation Fund, delivered by the Advanced Propulsion Centre.