Commercialisation Roadmap for Niobium xEv Anodes (CORNEA)
Lead Participant:
ECHION TECHNOLOGIES LTD
Abstract
Project CORNEA brings together Echion Technologies ('Echion') and Johnson Matthey ('JM') in order to accelerate the commercialisation of a next-generation fast-charging battery material for automotive applications.
Echion is a high-growth company who spun-out of Cambridge University in 2017 to commercialise proprietary fast-charging battery materials. JM is a FTSE 100 company and a global leader in the field of advanced battery materials.
The speed of charge of standard commercial batteries is severely limited by the negative terminal material which they use to store the electricity upon charge, called the anode. Echion has developed a new anode material called Mixed Niobium Oxide (MNO) which enables a unique combination of safe fast charge (down to 6 min for a full charge), high energy and power density, long cycle life and low cost.
This technology has the potential to enable more efficient and cost-effective hybrid vehicles benefiting from improved regenerative braking, and full electric vehicles with decreased battery size and cost who benefit from the convenience of fast-charging. This will accelerate the adoption of mass-market electric vehicles, which is in line with the government Road to Zero strategy and will provide significant environmental and public health benefits in terms of reduction of CO2 emissions and harmful particulates from the transport sector.
Echion and JM are partnering to assess the business case for a joint commercialisation of the technology for automotive applications. This will include understanding detailed market requirements and matching these with actual and modelled product performance, and building a strategic roadmap to accelerate market entry.
By bringing together two UK companies at the forefront of the advanced battery materials industry, this project is leveraging the opportunity to kick-start a UK supply chain to supply a unique high-added value technology to our automotive industry, thereby securing the UK's international competitiveness in the field.
Echion is a high-growth company who spun-out of Cambridge University in 2017 to commercialise proprietary fast-charging battery materials. JM is a FTSE 100 company and a global leader in the field of advanced battery materials.
The speed of charge of standard commercial batteries is severely limited by the negative terminal material which they use to store the electricity upon charge, called the anode. Echion has developed a new anode material called Mixed Niobium Oxide (MNO) which enables a unique combination of safe fast charge (down to 6 min for a full charge), high energy and power density, long cycle life and low cost.
This technology has the potential to enable more efficient and cost-effective hybrid vehicles benefiting from improved regenerative braking, and full electric vehicles with decreased battery size and cost who benefit from the convenience of fast-charging. This will accelerate the adoption of mass-market electric vehicles, which is in line with the government Road to Zero strategy and will provide significant environmental and public health benefits in terms of reduction of CO2 emissions and harmful particulates from the transport sector.
Echion and JM are partnering to assess the business case for a joint commercialisation of the technology for automotive applications. This will include understanding detailed market requirements and matching these with actual and modelled product performance, and building a strategic roadmap to accelerate market entry.
By bringing together two UK companies at the forefront of the advanced battery materials industry, this project is leveraging the opportunity to kick-start a UK supply chain to supply a unique high-added value technology to our automotive industry, thereby securing the UK's international competitiveness in the field.
Lead Participant | Project Cost | Grant Offer |
|---|---|---|
| ECHION TECHNOLOGIES LTD | £204,550 | £ 143,185 |
Participant |
||
| JOHNSON MATTHEY PLC | £59,461 | £ 29,730 |
People |
ORCID iD |
| Sarah Stevenson (Project Manager) |