Britishvolt has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UK sports car manufacturer Lotus to establish tailor-made battery cells.
The collaboration will focus on the co-development of an innovative new battery cell package to power the next generation of electric sports cars from Lotus. The package is set to feature in a new sports car, powered by Britishvolt cells and utilizing advanced electric propulsion technologies developed by Lotus.
The companies will work on integrating cell formats and chemistry that provide enhanced energy density and power capability, fast charging, and other specifications.
Development work on the project will benefit from the proximity of Lotus and Britishvolt's R&D centers of excellence in the West Midlands, the UK's 'golden triangle' of battery development. The Lotus Advanced Technology Centre (LATC) opened in Wellesbourne in 2020 as the global headquarters of Lotus Engineering, the consultancy division of the business.
The collaboration with Britishvolt is another significant development in the ongoing transformation of Lotus from a UK sports car company to a global and all-electric performance car business and brand. It follows a £100 million (US$134 million) investment by Lotus in its UK facilities, which includes manufacturing centers at Hethel for the Evija pure-electric hypercar and Emira sports car.