Partnership deal to enable vehicle battery manufacturing in the UK

Volklec, the Midlands-based battery manufacturing business, has taken a major step forward in its journey to industrialisation and scale-up. 

The company has struck an exclusive licence agreement with the Asian battery supplier, Far East Battery (FEB). 

FEB designs and manufactures batteries, providing energy storage solutions and electric vehicle (EV) power globally since 2009. 

Thanks to the technology and knowledge transfer agreement, Volklec will manufacture lithium-ion batteries in the UK, with production starting later this year at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) in Coventry.

Volklec’s strategic roadmap includes a dedicated 10GWh gigafactory representing an investment of more than £1 billion and creating more than 1,000 highly skilled jobs by the end of the decade.  

Executive director, Phil Popham, said: “There is an urgent need for new independent manufacturers to secure the battery supply chain in the UK.  

“There is no greater transformation today than the electric revolution in transport and mobility, and the British start-up scene is thriving, from motorsport to heavy duty off-highway and most things in between. But there is a substantial gap in the supply chain. 

“The UK is particularly strong in the specialist and high-performance sectors which need surety of supply with quality and reliability. Our mission is to help these innovators thrive.”

Volklec’s executive team includes key commercial, technical and EV business specialists with experience in the battery, manufacturing and electrification sectors.