MUNICH, Germany — A consortium of three British companies has joined forces to develop a lightweight battery for use in electric small city cars. The group's goal is to make batteries lighter, smaller and with a higher power density compared to today's batteries. Additional goals are faster charging cycles and higher driving range for e-cars.

Battery manufacturer Axeon leads the trio. The other members are automotive supplier Ricardo and niche vehicle manufacturer Allied Vehicles. Ricardo's task is to develop the battery management system architecture and control software. Axeon will engineer and design the battery system and perform cell testing. In addition, the battery manufacturer will be responsible for the electronic system integration. Allied Vehicles will design, build and test a vehicle platform.

"The increasing electrification of the new vehicle parc is an important enabler for the global reduction of fossil fuel use in transportation and the minimization of CO₂ emissions", Ricardo CEO Dave Shemmans described the contribution of the project to the overall task of making mobility more environment-friendly and strengthening the UK's role in that effort.

The collaboration is scheduled to last for 22 months. The UK Technology Strategy Board has funded the project with about GPB 1.3 million (about €1.48 million or $2.15 million.

Related articles and links:

German government to foster e-cars