The UK invented the lithium-ion battery in Oxford, but we failed to commercialise it—handing the future of energy first to Sony and then allowing China to dominate the global supply chain. But is the race over?
In this episode, we explore the incredible “David vs. Goliath” comeback, happening in British laboratories. We take you inside the labs at Breathe Battery Technologies and About:Energy to see how they are using physics-based modelling and “Digital Twins” to squeeze 30% faster charging and double the lifespan of existing cells.
Plus, we look at the next-generation chemistries—Solid State and Sodium-Ion—that could finally break our reliance on Lithium and secure the UK’s energy future.
Can the UK reclaim its crown as a battery superpower? Or is it too little, too late?
Topics Covered:
- The history of the Li-Ion battery (and how the UK lost it).
- Why China controls 70%+ of the battery market.
- The “Dry Coating” manufacturing revolution.
- Inside London’s largest battery lab.
- Sodium-Ion & Solid State: The next big thing?
- The Gigafactories rising in Sunderland, Somerset, and the Midlands.
Noteworthy Mentions: The Faraday Institution UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) Nyobolt TaiSun Nadal Technologies Nexeon Ilika Faradion LiNa Energy Eleven Energy Allye Breathe Battery Technologies About:Energy Envision AESC Tata Agratas EVE Energy Volklec AMTE Power Ionetic Invinity Energy Systems Highview Power Zenobe Fellten Cornish Lithium British Lithium Altilium
Timestamps
0:00 The original battery!
1:30 Ad break – come to our shows!
1:50 Generating IP in the UK
2:44 Battery Materials
3:30 Dry Coating Electrodes
4:50 Battery Cells
5:15 Battery modelling
6:33 Surely we know how batteries work?!
7:44 London’s largest Battery Lab
8:56 Benefits of a digital twin
10:35 McMurtry
11:17 The temperature challenge
13:10 Grid scale
14:07 Gigafactories
15:03 Mining, refining and recycling
15:55 A cautionary tale…
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