Innovate UK invests in electric vehicle project

The SUNRISE project has been backed by the UK government’s Technical Strategy Board, Innovate UK.

The project aims to develop enhance battery materials that will replace carbon components with silicon, as well as optimising battery designs for electric vehicles (EV).

The project intends to utilise the developments in order to extend the driving range of EV to 400 miles.

Innovate UK has funded the SUNRISE with £7mn (US$9.46mn), 70% of its total £10mn ($13.51mn) value.

The investment comes as part of the Faraday Battery Challenge, the first phase of a four year long investment in attery technology in the UK, costing £246mn ($332.43).

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“The biggest problems facing EVs – range anxiety, cost, charge time or charging station availability – are almost all related to limitations of the batteries,” stated Chief Executive of Nexeon, Dr Scott Brown.

“Silicon anodes are now well established on the technology road maps of major automotive OEMs and cell makers, and Nexeon has received support from UK and global OEMs, several of whom will be involved in this project as it develops.”

One of the biggest public concerns about EV is “range anxiety” in which people are apprehensive about how far the vehicles can travel on a single charge.

The new Nissan leaf – which goes on sale in January – has been developed to travel as far as 235 miles on a single charge.