A SOLIHULL company has been awarded £9.7million by the government to develop batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) capable of charging in 12 minutes.
It is estimated the project could save more than 12 million tonnes of carbon emissions and create 423 jobs into the bargain.
The money was awarded through the Advanced Propulsion Centre’s Collaborative R&D Competition which backs businesses developing green automotive technology
Project Celeritas, led by Sprint Power Technology Ltd off Progress Way in north Solihull, will develop the ultra-fast charging battery for electric and fuel cell hybrid vehicles with the aim of accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles by addressing concerns of motorists over battery range and charge time.
The project will also work to reduce development costs and weight for EVs, making them more efficient and affordable.
The government has announced the end of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK by 2030, putting the UK on course to be the fastest major economy to decarbonise cars and vans.
Founder and chief executive of Sprint Power, Richie Frost, said: “As we move steadily towards the UK’s ban on new petrol and diesel combustion engine vehicles in 2030, tackling consumers’ concerns on EVs head on is critical.
“We are delighted to be leading this pioneering project that will create a step change in battery charge times, helping to create highly efficient fuel cell vehicles for the future and accelerating the charging time on battery electric vehicles significantly closer to refuelling times on today’s internal combustion engine cars.”
