Innovation in anodes could be the key to overcoming UK EV adoption hurdles and achieving climate goals, according to the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC).
In its new report, Advanced Anode Materials Value Chain, APC outlines how recent gains in lithium-ion battery cathodes have improved range, cost and charging speed. Now, similar breakthroughs are emerging in anode technology, with four promising candidates: silicon, lithium metal, lithium titanate (LTO) and niobium.
To unlock their potential, APC recommends targeted action:
- Establish silane production in Europe to support high-silicon anodes
- Invest in R&D to address silicon’s volumetric expansion issues
- Fund development of high-quality lithium foil manufacturing
- Build scale-up facilities for LTO and niobium-based materials
Dr Hadi Moztarzadeh, head of technology trends at APC, emphasised, “Improving anode performance by increasing energy storage capacity, reducing size, and enabling faster charging is key to the future of EV battery technology. Anode materials can improve the limitations of the battery cell energy density, reliability and overall performance.”
He noted that current anode designs are becoming a bottleneck for next-gen batteries. Scaling up advanced materials presents a major opportunity for UK-based innovation and supply chain investment.
This report builds on APC’s 2023 Automotive Battery Value Chain study, which mapped production pathways for NMC and LFP cells.
