Government makes £28m investment in UK Battery Industrialisation Centre in Coventry

Thu 16 May 2019 View all news

The Government has announced that Coventry will be home to a new national centre of excellence for the development of the latest electric car battery technology. Meanwhile, it's also been announced that 22 projects will benefit from £25m Government investment to help decarbonise UK transport.

The Government hopes that a £28 million investment in a new UK Battery Industrialisation Centre will provide a stepping stone for the UK's ambition for a Gigafactory to be built in this country – a large-scale battery technology factory for electric vehicles.

The investment comes on top of £80 million initial investment in the centre, which will provide world-leading testing facilities for new battery technologies. This Government says that the investment will also provide practical training to upskill people in battery manufacturing.

Speaking at the announcement, Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, said: "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."

Meanwhile, 22 projects in total will benefit from £25m Government investment to decarbonise UK transport. Announced by the Department for Transport, the innovations to be funded include a quick-charging fully-electric motorbike prototype and agricultural vehicles with reduced emission capability.

Other winning projects include:

  • a project that will add an electric drive axle to a conventional diesel-powered truck, creating a hybrid engine which will store and reuse the electrical energy on the trailer
  • a research and development project to replace metals with new materials using recycled carbon fibres from aviation waste
  • a feasibility study into the potential of hydrogen fuel cell technology as a zero-emission solution for utility and off-road vehicles

The Business Secretary Greg Clark (speaking alongside former transport minister Jesse Norman) said: "We are committed to ensuring the UK continues to develop its world-leading reputation for excellence in the design and manufacturing of greener transport.

"These exciting new projects, from Liverpool to Slough, are powering the future of zero emission vehicles and through our modern Industrial Strategy. Investments like these will also enable us to realise our commitment for all new cars and vans to be effectively zero emission by 2040.

"Since 2010, the Government has designed and funded a series of collaborative, industry led competitions with Innovate UK, creating a diverse range of high-quality projects that have driven forward advanced technologies and strengthened UK industrial and supply chain capability. Government and private sector investment in these competitions has already provided over £600 million of funding."

The full list of winning projects can be found via this link.

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