UK-based battery technology startup Ionetic has opened a £5 million pilot plant in Northamptonshire to develop cost-effective battery packs for low-volume automakers in the UK and US, CEO James Eaton said in an interview.
Eaton told Reuters that Ionetic is already working with multiple automakers to help reduce electrification costs and accelerate time-to-market for companies that may struggle with in-house battery development. “The really big players can throw hundreds of millions or even billions at electrification,” Eaton said. “But around 90 to 95% of manufacturers are small and don’t have hundreds of millions of pounds to go electric.”
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Ionetic says its approach can lower battery development costs by 80% while reducing production time by half. The company’s proprietary ‘Arc’ platform combines AI-augmented design tools, hardware components, and fabrication technologies to streamline custom battery pack development.
Founded in 2022, Ionetic has already partnered with bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis and other undisclosed clients. The company has expanded its workforce by hiring engineers from McLaren, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar, Aston Martin, and Imperial College London.
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Former Nissan COO Andy Palmer, who joined Ionetic as Chairman in 2023, said: “I have witnessed first-hand the need for more cost-effective battery pack solutions that can still meet the performance criteria of automotive OEMs, especially in lower volume. Ionetic is doing just this, and I have great belief that its offering will significantly reduce the challenge and headaches of electrification for OEMs.”
Source: Reuters