Battery maker AMTE Power plc has been confirmed as a partner in a new UK government-funded project called Celeritas to develop ultra-fast charging systems for electric vehicles.
Currently the best-in-class charging systems take approximately 22 minutes for a 10-80% charge for a 280-mile range. The Celeritas project is aiming to deliver an 80% charge in just 12 minutes. Reducing charge times has been identified as key to accelerating the widespread switch by consumers to electric vehicles.
The project will be part funded by the UK Government through the Advanced Propulsion Centre (Apcuk).
AMTE Power’s role will be to develop its high-power pouch cells into a cylindrical cell format and provide these cells as the rapid charging cell technology that sits at the heart of the system.
The five other partners involved in project Celeritas are expected to be: BMW Group; BP; Sprint Power, a British technology company specialising in low carbon technology; Clas-Sic, the dedicated Silicon Carbide Wafer foundry; and Eltrium, a designer and manufacturer of electrical harnesses and energy storage systems.
Kevin Brundish, chief executive officer of AMTE Power, said: “A key focus of this project is to target BMW’s future battery specifications and requirements with each partner bringing innovations to the battery platform.
“It is therefore an excellent opportunity to contribute as well as demonstrate the capabilities of our cell technology to the other partners not just for fast charging but also for fast discharge (acceleration) and ultimately vehicle range.”
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