Battery Show North America: UK Roadmap says much is still to be done

Battery technology advances have been significant, but newly launched consensus roadmap details much is still to be done.

• Policy and regulation will shape more sustainable cell and pack manufacturing methods
• Building a resilient supply chain with companies onshoring will be a key focus
• Zero-tailpipe emissions no longer sole aim, with full life circularity necessary to achieve net zero

08 October 2024 The Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) is showcasing the best of UK automotive battery technology at this week’s Battery Show North America in Detroit. Hosting the UK Pavilion on behalf of the Government’s Department for Business and Trade, the show comes hot after the launch of the 2024 Electrical Energy Storage (EES) Roadmap.

Launched on 25 September 2024, the EES Roadmap is an industry consensus, forward-looking document produced by the APC for the Automotive Council UK. With input from 230 organizations including academia, government and industry, the roadmaps provide a well-rounded and considered opinion on what is coming next to drive further innovation and change for battery technologies.

The Roadmap focusses on trends and drivers that will impact and influence the automotive sector’s next steps towards achieving mass-adoption of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) with policy and regulation, digitalization, circularity, and sustainability, and building resilient supply chains all playing a key role.

Battery technology for the automotive sector has advanced at pace over the past decade to address issues affecting consumer confidence, particularly around range. Significant improvements in the development of lithium-ion batteries have resulted in increased energy densities and lightweighting to allay range anxiety.

However, while the issue of range might address consumer concerns, the Roadmap details there is still much to do to ensure the technology is fit for purpose as we strive towards a net-zero future.

Julian Hetherington, Automotive Transformation Director at the APC, said:

“The roadmaps are refreshed every three to four years and looking back to the 2020 iteration we can see how reliable and valid our forecasts have been with a slight shift in the timeline as technology advancements have been at a higher pace than expected. This refreshed version looks ahead to 2040 and beyond and reflects on the scale of innovation that is continuing in battery design, development and production at the cell, module, and pack level.

As batteries continue to play a key role in the automotive sector’s energy transition, the focus will be on becoming truly net zero, not just at tailpipe. The roadmap sets out steppingstones to achieve full circularity, reusing and extracting critical materials ethically and the need to implement sustainable manufacturing processes.”

All the key themes addressed in the Roadmap feed into each other and do not sit in isolation. New policies and regulations will impact the methods used in cell and pack manufacture, and this will determine which supply chain partners and Tier 2s the automakers will choose to work with.

Diversifying the portfolio of battery chemistries beyond lithium-ion will also play an important part in securing supply chains and protecting the critical minerals extracted for the technology. Designing packs and modules with the aim of sustainable disassembly will further support this.

Dr Hadi Moztarzadeh, Head of Technology Trends at the APC added:

“While the roadmap looks ahead to the next 15 years and we have received considerable input from senior representatives and experts across the battery industry, we cannot say for sure what is around the corner. We can predict based on analyzing trends and drivers, our knowledge of the industry and an understanding of the research and development that is underway, however, sometimes disruptors which cannot be forecasted early-on impact the industry.

For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the automotive industry and the technologies that operate within it. What the pandemic did uncover for many regions is a level of vulnerability in the supply chain. Such disruptors highlight the need for onshoring the upstream materials supply chain and ensuring a diversification of materials and relevant technologies to build a more resilient ecosystem.”

View the EES roadmap and the supporting narrative report: Electrical Energy Storage – Advanced Propulsion Centre (apcuk.co.uk)