WAE, the engineering and technology business that focusses on transferring F1 expertise outside of motorsport, backed the Government drive to make the UK a world leader in electric battery development.
It urged the Government to exploit the current expertise in ‘Motorsport Valley’ – the area home to a number of leading motor racing teams – in the face of competition from Asia and the US.
WAE has invested in electric battery capability since its launch in 2010, developing batteries for the likes of Formula E and Aston Martin.
In its latest venture in battery technology, WAE has led a consortium of companies in a bid to build a high performance, flexible battery manufacturing facility. The H1PERBAT project will be the largest independent battery manufacturer in the UK, helping to overcome existing supply chain gaps in UK battery production. The halo project for this facility will be British marque Aston Martin’s first fully electric model, the RapidE.
Craig Wilson, Managing Director of WAE, said: “We have the opportunity to be at the heart of the clean energy revolution over the next fifty years. Already we have seen rapid growth in our battery customer base in the past few years, not just in automotive but beyond, so I’m delighted to hear the government’s new plan to stimulate battery technology development for manufacturers, businesses and consumers. We have accumulated a lot of experience in batteries and battery management systems in motorsport and automotive, so with funding support and collaboration we can make it the next manufacturing growth engine.”
