The new project, dubbed project SUNRISE, will develop enhanced battery materials that replace carbon components with silicon, while also optimising battery designs for EV use. One of the main aims of the project is to boost the driving range of these vehicles.
Project SUNRISE will be delivered by University College London (UCL), silicon materials developer Nexeon and polymer producer Synthomer. The majority of the £10m project will be funded by Innovate UK as part of the Faraday Battery Challenge - the first phase of a four-year £246m investment into UK battery technology.
"The biggest problems facing EVs – range anxiety, cost, charge time or charging station availability – are almost all related to limitations of the batteries," Nexeon's chief executive Dr Scott Brown said.
One of the biggest barriers facing EV uptake among the public is the perceived "range anxiety" whereby consumers are dissuaded about the vehicle's performance in relation to travel distances on a single charge.
The new Nissan Leaf, for example, has been upgraded to offer a longer range of 235 miles on a singles charge and will go on sale this month. However, the SUNRISE project will seek to boost the range of EV batteries to at least 400 miles.
To do so, the project partners will attempt to replace carbon found in battery anodes with silicon, but in a way that increases the energy density of each cell. It is believed that binding new silicon anodes with polymer will generate lower costs, better battery performance and quicker charging times.
The Faraday Challenge falls under the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) - a four-year investment programme to drive innovation across six key areas, as announced in the 2017 Spring Budget.
A Government-commissioned study carried out by Imperial College London and the Carbon Trust last year revealed that a combination of flexible solutions such as energy storage and demand response could save UK consumers between £17bn and £40bn through to the year 2050.
Earlier this week, plans to build a new battery facility for EVs in Warwickshire were backed by £80m in funding. The National Battery Manufacturing Development Facility will be funded by Warwick Manufacturing Group, Coventry City Council and the Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership.