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Lotus agrees MoU with Britishvolt for next-gen battery cells
Lotus Cars has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Britishvolt to collaborate on next generation battery cells specific to Lotus requirements.
The partnership 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 utilising advanced electric propulsion technologies developed by Lotus.
Development work on the project will benefit from the close proximity of Lotus and Britishvolt’s R&D centres of excellence in the West Midlands. The Lotus Advanced Technology Centre (LATC) opened in Wellesbourne, Warwickshire in 2020 as the global headquarters of Lotus Engineering, the consultancy division of the business.
Lotus Cars has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Britishvolt to collaborate on next generation battery cells specific to Lotus requirements / Picture: Lotus Cars
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 £100m investment by Lotus in its UK facilities, which includes manufacturing centres at Hethel, Norfolk for the Evija pure electric hypercar and Emira sports car.
Oliver Jones, chief commercial officer of Britishvolt, said: “Britishvolt is excited to be working with such a prestigious and highly acclaimed OEM as Lotus. This MoU demonstrates that the legacy one-size-fits-all cell strategy is no longer valid in the rapidly developing electric mobility market.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.”
Matt Windle, Lotus Cars managing director, added: “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. 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.”