Britishvolt to develop high-performance batteries with Aston Martin

LONDON: Electric vehicle (EV) battery startup Britishvolt is to develop high-performance batteries with Aston Martin as the British luxury carmaker gears up to launch its first fully electric vehicle in 2025, the two companies said on Monday.

A joint research and development team from fictional secret agent James Bond's car brand and the battery company will design and develop battery packs and a battery management system.

Aston Martin is the second carmaker customer for Britishvolt, which has also entered a battery partnership with Britain's Lotus.

By 2026, the Aston Martin plans to offer electric versions of all of its new models.

"Working together with Britishvolt, I believe we can create new technologies to power benchmark-setting Aston Martin electric cars that will match our reputation for high performance and ultra-luxury with the highest standards of sustainability," Aston Martin chief executive Tobias Moers said in a statement.

Last month, Britishvolt launched a Series C funding round with a starting investment of £40 million (RM219mil) from mining giant Glencore.

It has also secured UK government backing for a battery plant project in northern England, unlocking £1.7 billion (RM9.3bil) in private funding.

When the £3.8 billion (RM20.8bil), 45 GWh Blythe plant is fully operational in 2027 it should be able to produce battery packs for more than 450,000 electric vehicles per year.