British gigafactory developer Britishvolt is partnering with Lotus to develop a custom battery cell package that will bolster the automotive OEM’s electrical ambitions.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by both parties, they will jointly develop a new battery cell pack that will be used in a new sports car powered by British Volt cells and the use of advanced electric propulsion technologies developed by Lotus. The companies say they will work together to integrate cell sizes and chemistry to deliver improved energy density, power capacity and fast charging.
“Britishvolt is delighted to be working with such a prestigious and acclaimed OEM as Lotus,” said Oliver Jones, Britishvolt’s Chief Commercial Officer.
“This MoU demonstrates that the legacy one-size-fits-all cell strategy is no longer valid in the rapidly evolving electric mobility market. It also reinforces Britishvolt’s differentiation strategy of close customer intimacy and collaboration to fully optimize battery solutions and enable the differentiation that is so important to these iconic brands and products.”
Lotus goes green with all-electric announcement
Lotus unveils UK’s first all-electric hypercar
In 2021, the famed British brand announced its intention to ditch internal combustion engines and become an all-electric car player by the end of the decade. At the forefront of that transformation is the Evija, the 2000 horsepower electric hypercar estimated to cost around £2 million for the 130 owners who get their hands on it. The battery pack for that project has been developed by Williams Advanced Engineering, while the agreement with Britishvolt should lead to the creation of cell packs for the wider Lotus electric range, which will grow significantly in the coming months and years.
“Lotus is delighted to partner with Britishvolt to develop new battery cell technology to demonstrate the exciting performance a Lotus EV sports car can deliver,” said Matt Windle, Lotus Cars general manager.
“These are the first exciting steps towards an all-new electric sports car from Lotus. Last year we committed Lotus to a purely electric future and in the first month of this year we will announce another important step on that journey. In the coming months, we will be unveiling the Type 132, an all-new all-electric Lotus SUV, and we’ve confirmed three more EVs are on the way.”
Earlier this month, Britishvolt received an in-principle offer of government funding through the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) for the planned gigafactory in Blyth. The company claims the facility, which will be the first of its kind in the UK, will be able to produce battery packs for 300,000 vehicles per year once it reaches capacity.
