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Blog 30 Apr 2024 

Four of Britain’s most innovative electric vehicle companies

The EV market is growing, and there’s a higher demand for green transport. These 4 companies are developing battery technology to benefit the EV industry.

Jay Russell

Jay Russell

Business Development Manager
(he/him)

Low-cost, high-performance battery technology will play a key role as we work to mitigate climate change and meet growing consumer demand for transportation.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more commonplace on our roads, but innovation is needed to drive advancements that will make the technology both more efficient and more environmentally friendly. 

Britain is playing a leading role in the global battery industry. Our world-leading innovation system helps businesses develop solutions that will power the electric vehicles of the future. 

Here are just four of the companies that are at the forefront of the UK battery industry. 

CatContiCryst - Accelerating battery innovation

Low-cost high-performance battery technology will be a key part of our journey towards net zero. 

CatContiCryst is a collaboration between the University of Sheffield and private partners, developing innovative new processes to manufacture key components used in the production of the next generation of battery technology. 

By accelerating the development of new manufacturing processes, NiTech is helping the industry meet consumer demands for safety, reliability, and affordability and is reducing emissions across the entire supply chain. 

NiTech Solutions – Flexible manufacturing for EV batteries

The chemical manufacturing industry plays a significant role in the UK economy. Specialty chemicals are critical to the performance of a wide range of products including batteries used to power electric vehicles. 

Through a unique collaboration with CPI and the Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), NiTech is scaling up its solution to replace traditional batch manufacturing processes with its safer, greener and cheaper alternative. 

LiNa Energy - Advancing sustainable battery technology

Electric vehicles, renewable energy providers, and energy-intensive sectors such as building, transport, and manufacturing all need solutions to help them decarbonise their operations. But current technology, alongside the rising cost of key components such as cobalt, mean that current Lithium-ion technologies cannot meet this demand.

However, UK SME LiNa Energy and the Lancaster University have developed a novel alternative that promises more efficient, safer, and sustainable modular energy storage that overcomes the technical and physical limits of current battery technologies.

Photocentric - Developing 3D-printed solid-state batteries

Most of the conventional batteries we use today are made using a liquid electrolyte. While this is effective at creating an electrical current, the material can be flammable and hazardous. 

Photocentric has, however, developed a novel alternative for 3D printing solid-state batteries that might soon replace their liquid counterparts. Not only is this less hazardous and more sustainable than conventional lithium-ion batteries, but it can also be created in any form, giving designers freedom to sculpt future products without being constrained by the size and shape of the battery needed to power it. 

It’s a huge leap forwards that could help to shape what battery-powered devices like electric vehicles look like in the future. 

6 ways solid-state batteries are better than lithium-ion alternatives in electric vehicles 

Scott Gorman

Scott Gorman

Senior Research Scientist

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