UK start-up targets niche marques with cost-cutting battery R&D

British tech start-up Ionetic, established in January this year, has revealed a new battery pack design platform that it claims is much more cost- and space-efficient than off-the-shelf solutions. The company’s software automatically generates a battery pack design based around a series of adjustable parameters, using an architecture similar to that in the Tesla Model 3. According to Ionetic, its software reworked an EV conversion company’s battery pack to boost it from 40kWh to 88kWh, without altering the size of its footprint. The firm claims that these optimisations mean its custom-made packs are much more energy-dense than those commonly used by low-volume manufacturers, such as Model 3 or Nissan Leaf cells. For reference, the 180Wh/kg density targeted by Ionetic is 36% higher than a Leaf module's 132Wh/kg, and 15% higher than a Model 3 unit’s 156Wh/kg rating. The firm told Autocar that it currently has a module with a 226Wh/kg density. Ionetic also plans to open its first UK production facility in late 2023, although it has yet to clarify where this will be. The firm says the ability to produce batteries in-house will allow it to cut development costs for a battery pack from £40-80 million down to £4-10 million. James Eaton, CEO and co-founder of Ionetic, said: “There are many stages needed to get a battery pack into production. Automotive companies need to consider requirements, system design, homologation, embedded control, manufacturing options and vehicle integration, to name a few. “These stages are often done by different companies, which can lead to a costly, fragmented process. At Ionetic, we facilitate all these stages, simplifying the process and reducing the cost for EV OEMs.” Eaton added that the company was targeting niche vehicle manufacturers with a total output of less than 10,000 units per year. He warned: “Gigafactories are mainly catering for mass-produced cars. “There’s a risk that some of these niche, historic car brands might not survive electrification unless companies such as Ionetic address their specific needs.” The development of battery packs specifically for the niche market is likely to bolster the UK’s burgeoning low-volume EV industry. In 2021, Autocar reported on engineer Neil Yates’ PACES EV platform, a rigid skateboard chassis featuring a 39.6kWh battery pack derived from Nissan Leaf cells. In the Watt Electric Vehicle Company’s Coupé, the PACES platform provides a sub-1000kg kerb weight and a 220-mile range. It is demand from these marques that Ionetic is likely to be gambling on: minimising costs and providing a bespoke product competitive with mainstream rivals to set up a symbiotic relationship with smaller, low-cost manufacturers. The use of UK-built batteries would also give these makers a leg-up in meeting ‘rules of origin’ requirements for post-Brexit exports.