New Uni car battery centre

Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) is to play host to a new £13 million, Energy Storage Research & Development Centre, aimed at the advancement of electric and hybrid vehicle batteries.

It is hoped that the centre will boost the development of car batteries, by building an ‘electric vehicle battery hub’. The lab will be situated on the main campus in the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, opened last year to boost the commercialisation of new technologies.

WMG chairman Professor Lord Bhattacharyya said: “This collaborative centre will enable the automotive sector to continue to be a global leader in low carbon vehicle manufacturing.
“We will be working closely with industry and other universities on joint research projects that will have real impact for these companies as well as the sector as a whole.”

In terms of the centre’s sustainability, Peter Dunn, the University’s communications officer, has assured the Boar that it will not drain Warwick’s financial resources. Business Minister

Michael Fallon said, “This facility will help accelerate the development of battery cells for the next generation of vehicles, and is a vital investment in the future of the automotive sector.”

“It complements over £5.5bn that global vehicle manufacturers have committed to UK projects in the last 18 months.”

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) has supplied £9 million of the £13 million of capital in a bid to prop up the UK expertise in electrochemistry. This move comes in light of fears of the other developed nations advancing at a faster rate in terms of scientific research and development.

Fallon said, “It will put the UK in a much stronger position…with other leaders in the field including the US Japan and Germany.”