Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the two parties, they will jointly develop a novel battery cell package that will feature in a new sports car, powered by Britishvolt cells and employing advanced electric propulsion technologies developed by Lotus. The companies say they will collaborate on integrating cell formats and chemistry to deliver enhanced energy density, power capability and fast charging.
“Britishvolt is excited to be working with such a prestigious and highly acclaimed OEM as Lotus,” said Oliver Jones, chief commercial officer at Britishvolt.
“This MoU demonstrates that the legacy one-size-fits-all cell strategy is no longer valid in the rapidly developing electric mobility market. It also reinforces Britishvolt’s differentiation strategy of close customer intimacy and partnering to fully optimise battery solutions and enable the differentiation so important to these iconic brands & products.”
Lotus to go green with all-electric announcement
Lotus unveils first all-electric British hypercar
In 2021, the famous UK marque announced that it was planning to ditch combustion engines and become an all-electric auto player by the end of the decade. At the forefront of that transformation is the Evija, the 2000 horsepower electric hypercar that it’s estimated will cost around £2m for the 130 owners that get their hands on them. The battery pack for that project was developed by Williams Advanced Engineering, whereas the agreement with Britishvolt should see cell packages created for across the wider Lotus electric range, which is set to expand significantly in the months and years ahead.
“Lotus is delighted to be collaborating with Britishvolt to develop new battery cell technology to showcase the thrilling performance that a Lotus EV sports car can deliver,” said Matt Windle, Lotus Cars managing director.
“These are the first exciting steps on the journey towards an all-new electric sports car from Lotus. Last year we committed Lotus to a pure electric future, and in the first month of this year we announce another significant step on that journey. In the coming months we will be unveiling the Type 132, an all-new and 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 its planned gigafactory in Blyth. The company claims that the facility, set to be the first of its kind in the UK, will be capable of producing battery packs for 300,000 vehicles a year once it reaches capacity.
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