Britishvolt announces roadmap for development of larger battery cell technology
Britishvolt has announced a roadmap for the development of larger format, 46900, high-performance lithium-ion advanced battery cell technologies – specifically designed for high-performance electric vehicles.
The 4690 format is to be developed and prototyped at the recently acquired EAS facility in Germany before being transferred to the UK for scale-up at the company’s Hams Hall facility in the Midlands ahead of large-scale production at the company’s Northumberland Gigaplant battery manufacturing facility
Orral Nadjari, Founder/CEO of Britishvolt, said: “Britishvolt understands the importance of larger format cells, which is why our recent acquisition of EAS, of which the importance needs to be fully grasped by the market, and our scale-up facility in the Midlands will help us deliver 4690 cells that our customers require. Critically, we will be able to build these game-changing cells in a truly sustainable, low carbon way.
“We start with digital twin/simulation modelling, exactly the same way we did with our 21700 cell development, and then move on to physical prototyping. This improves efficiency, reduces waste, lowers costs and makes us leaner and more agile. We can also tailor the length of the cell to suit specific applications. This is a unique Britishvolt proposition that will also help anchor the UK as a global battery leader and home to leading battery innovation. We are helping reindustrialise the UK.”
The 4690 cell pathway is in development at Britishvolt, where the company is leveraging its digital-twin simulation and modelling capabilities to drive engineering and bring technology to market quicker and more efficiently. The use of digital twin, via its simulation and modelling capabilities, provides Britishvolt with analytical data and tools, coupled with manufacturing expertise, to effectively tailor the 4690 cell. This customisation can be in aspects including the variation of dimension, i.e. to shorten or increase the cell length against the 4690 format, in order to maximise performance and system integration delivering the product our end customers require.
The company has cell chemistry development and optimisation pathways underway, coupled to cell mechanical design engineering, which builds upon the expertise in prototyping and cell design at EAS and is linked to development programmes with Britishvolt’s cell manufacturing equipment suppliers.
This accelerated roadmap to production allows for reduced waste and increased speed of delivery, resulting in potentially lower carbon application. Successful production of its first 21700 A-samples at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, following prototyping at WMG, University of Warwick, having tracked the same process from digital to physical, gives Britishvolt confidence that the data captured digitally will manifest as a market-leading new cell format, tailored to customer requirements. The first batch of 21700’s will be in customer’s hands for testing later in 2022.
Further benefits will be obtained by working in close cooperation with customers to fully tailor the cells to their specific requirements. More customer announcements are scheduled in coming months.
Graham Hoare, Deputy CEO and Global President of Operations at Britishvolt, added: “It’s great to be announcing the development roadmap of our 4690 battery technology. Britishvolt will be a leader in the most important race facing humanity and our planet – the race to net zero. We will be a positive force not just for our customers in helping them to achieve their decarbonisation goals, but also to those in the communities where we and our suppliers operate, ensuring that they too have a brighter future. The time has come to transition from fossil fuels to clean, renewable, low carbon electricity. The world deserves a clean air future for all. This is our mission at Britishvolt.”
Digital learnings will be transferred to the EAS manufacturing facility in Germany to be developed and put into prototype production before being scaled-up towards the highest end customer quality level at Britishvolt’s state-of-the-art campus at Hams Hall in the Midlands.
Earlier this year, Britishvolt signed memorandums of understanding with both Lotus Cars and Aston Martin. The work with Lotus Cars will see Britishvolt and the Norfolk-based car maker develop an electric sports car powered by Britishvolt cells and with advanced electric propulsion technologies developed by Lotus Cars.
Britishvolt’s collaboration with Aston Martin, the ultra-luxury carmaker, further supports its plans to launch its first battery electric vehicle in 2025. Aston Martin is targeting new standards of repeatable on-track performance, charging time and range, as it brings its renown for engineering mastery, beautiful design and extreme personalization to all-electric driving.
Image courtesy of Britishvolt.
