Sprinting towards High-value Anode Roadmap for large-scale UK Production (SHARP)

The speed of charge of standard commercial batteries is severely limited by the negative terminal material which is used to store the electricity upon charge, called the anode. Echion spun-out of Cambridge University in 2017 to commercialise a new generation of anode materials enabling faster than 6-min battery charge.

As commercial demand from cell manufacturers for Echion's material is accelerating, Echion must develop ambitious business plans to meet customer demand. Project SHARP will inform Echion's high volume manufacturing strategy and prepare a roadmap for rapid deployment, with the ultimate aim to grow the UK battery manufacturing supply chain and contribute to securing the UK's international competitiveness in the field of advanced battery materials production.

There are currently no volume producer of anode materials in the UK, which is a significant gap in the development of the UK electric vehicle supply chain. Project SHARP has the potential for significant upside for Echion, its customer, and the UK battery ecosystem at large.

Echion's technology has the potential to enable more efficient and cost-effective electric vehicles and to accelerate the adoption of 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.