LONDON -- Electric vehicle battery startup Britishvolt said it has signed an agreement with a UK government-backed research facility to develop batteries with high nickel content and more energy-dense materials as it gears up for mass production.
Demand for nickel is expected to jump over the next decade as EVs go mainstream. Nickel bolsters energy storage in a battery's cathode, which in turn extends an EV's range.
The auto industry is scrambling to boost EV range with large investments in research into more energy-dense batteries.
In a statement Britishvolt said it has reached a two-year, multi-million-pound agreement with the UK Battery Industrialization Centre (UKBIC) to develop, assemble its next generation of sample battery cells for mass production and commercialization.