Ricardo has signed a memorandum of understanding with InoBat to jointly supply battery cells, modules and packs to high performance automotive manufacturers for their electrification programmes.
Ricardo will apply its capability in niche volume manufacturing, battery assembly and complex supply chain management in collaboration with battery cell manufacturing experts, InoBat, to establish a secure supply of critical electric vehicle components.
This collaboration with InoBat is intended to improve Ricardo’s capability in the production and supply of critical electric vehicle components. In April 2021, Ricardo received UK Government funding to assess the commercial viability of a facility to assemble battery packs for UK manufacturers which produce fewer than 10,000 electrified vehicles per year. These UK electrified vehicle manufacturers included some of the world’s best known prestige brands which create their luxury cars, special vehicles, or off-highway machines for a customer base in the low thousands. The economic study was funded by the Advanced Propulsion Centre’s Automotive Transformation Fund supported by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
“Leveraging our proven track record in industrialising technology Ricardo is delighted to be working with InoBat to help establish a robust supply chain for critical electrification components. Ricardo’s future manufacturing strategy is very much aligned to this emerging need for electrified vehicle components for the high performance automotive vehicles and other equally demanding applications,” said Martin Starkey, managing director for Ricardo Performance Products. “In doing so, we will accelerate the adoption of electrification in these critical sectors by providing a robust supply route for key battery products,” added Starkey.
Ricardo and InoBat will co-operate on the assembly, production and testing of cells, modules and full battery packs for a number of high performance automotive applications. Drawing on its expertise in proprietary battery cell R&D and large-scale battery cell production, InoBat will manufacture, test and supply cells. Ricardo will design, assemble and test the battery packs and will supply them to customers principally in the high performance automotive market, but also in other sectors such as aerospace and defence, seeking to accelerate their product decarbonisation.
Iain Wight, CEO of InoBat added, “Ricardo’s long history of innovation and engineering experience make it the ideal partner for InoBat. Our complementary capabilities and approach to battery development and production will ensure that manufacturers have access to the components they need, when they need them, helping accelerate the move to green mobility.”
