(Alliance News) - Battery technology firm Ilika PLC on Tuesday said it has opened a new facility in Hampshire to develop and produce its solid-state batteries.
Shares in Ilika were up 3.3% at 22.00 pence in London in early afternoon trading.
The large format battery facility, known as the Goliath Pre-Pilot Line, will support Ilika's Goliath programme, aimed at developing "large format solid-state batteries for electric vehicles". Funding is partly derived from its GBP5 million won from the Faraday Battery Challenge.
The Goliath programme underpins Ilika's industrial collaborations, including those with Jaguar Land Rover Ltd, Honda Motor Co Ltd, and Ricardo PLC.
The Hampshire building has a footprint of around 750 metres squared, including more than 600 metres squared of production equipment and laboratories. Ilika will use the pre-pilot line "to accelerate the scale up and transfer of the solid-state battery technology to pilot production level."
Chief Executive Graeme Purdy said: "Ilika has a reputation for being able to respond to commercial opportunities in a rapid, agile manner. This facility has been designed, built and commissioned from a standing start in Q4 last year. The GPPL will support Ilika to further develop and scale-up its solid state technology for electric vehicles and give the UK its first footprint for the development of a technology expected to significantly disrupt the automotive industry."
By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com
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