UK firm in battery breakthrough

New cathode material to yield longer ranges and faster charging for British-built EVs

-  JULIAN RENDELL

Britain is leading the push towards faster-charging and longer-range electric cars with the opening of a pilot plant for the production of next-generation cathode materials.

Start-up Integrals Power has begun producing a new nanoparticle cathode material for lithium-manganese-iron-phosphate (LMFP) batteries, which are about to challenge lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and current market leader nickel manganese cobalt (NMC), for fitment in future EVs.

It has been estimated that LMFP and LFP batteries will power 50% of global EVs as soon as 2027, with LMFP growing from a 5% share in 2027 to 20% by 2035.

This game-changing potential means Integrals Power whose team of 10 is based in Milton Keynes - could put Britain's automotive manufacturing industry back on the global map.

"We're the only company in the UK making this material, which will be a basic building block of the next generation of lithium car battery cells," said Integrals Power founder and CEO Behnam Hormozi.

LMFP batteries are a development of the LFP technology used by the likes of BYD, Kia, MG and Tesla.

The key difference comes in the form of added manganese, which improves the flow of electrons and increases cell voltage from 3.2V to 3.7V.