The boss of Nissan batteries in the UK, Jeff Pratt, is to head a new national centre supporting government plans to develop next-generation battery systems for the automotive sector.
Pratt (pictured) will take up the post of MD at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC)— part of the UK government’s Faraday Institution— next month.
Fifty-five-year-old Pratt is currently general manager of Nissan’s lithium-ion battery plant in Sunderland. He joined Nissan in 1987 and held various management posts before moving to the lithium battery plant in 2009— where he has overall responsibility for construction, commissioning and operating Nissan’s UK battery business.
In his new role, Pratt will oversee UKBIC’s development of new battery systems across battery chemistry, electrodes, cell designs, module and pack level. The Warwickshire facility is set to open in 2020.
Business secretary Greg Clark said last year, the £246 million ($320.8m) worth of investment in battery technology aims to support the country’s development of electric vehicle market.
Japanese automaker Nissan sold its battery business— including the Sunderland operation— to a Chinese consortium last year.