To cater for the rising demand in electric vehicle batteries, Hyperdrive Innovation has opened the UK’s largest independent manufacturing facility for lithium-ion packs.
The new £7m (US$8.7m), 21,000ft2 facility called HYVE, is based in Sunderland in the north of the UK and will be able to produce up to 30,000 battery packs per year, which a number of high profile brands and OEMs will be able to benefit from as they increase the number of electrification options to their fleets.
It is the largest battery making facility outside of OEMs and has recently been responsible for helping power JCB’s first ever electric excavator.
“We’re working with some of the most forward-thinking and innovative organisations in the world as their trusted electrification and energy storage partner. HYVE enables us to deliver a high-quality product, providing our customers with the right energy at the right time,” said Chris Pennison, CEO of Hyperdrive.
Support from the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) played an integral role in the early stages of Hyperdrive’s seven-year history. The High Energy Density Battery Project (HEDB), in partnership with Nissan and funded by a £9.7m (US$12m) APC grant, enabled Hyperdrive’s latest battery technology to be brought to market.
In 2018, Hyperdrive launched its new modular battery platform. The scalable battery is the second modular system developed by Hyperdrive incorporating Nissan’s leading lithium-ion cells. The new battery packs are more compact, providing 50% more energy density and a significantly lower cost per kWh.
