Battery-powered cars still lose range in winter, and their motors wear out faster than engineers can predict. This research programme tackles those problems by studying the fundamental science of how batteries degrade, how power electronics can be packaged more efficiently, how motor design interacts with manufacturing imperfections, and how electric drivetrains affect lubricants and surfaces. The transport sector accounts for a large share of UK carbon emissions, and electric vehicles are the main route to cutting them. But current batteries and motors still fall short on cost, durability, and performance. Without deeper understanding of why components fail, manufacturers cannot confidently design the next generation of cleaner vehicles. If this work succeeds, it will produce scientific knowledge that helps UK industry build longer-lasting, more efficient electric drivetrains. That could protect and grow jobs across the supply chain as low-emission vehicles replace conventional ones. The research is fundamental—it does not promise a specific product—but it targets the core bottlenecks that currently slow electrification.
View original technical description
There is a growing demand for low carbon vehicles to reduce the transport sector's environmental impact and respond to the pressure of decarbonisation. Over the last 5 years, battery costs and performance have improved significantly which has subsequently improved the viability of electric and hybrid vehicles. By taking a whole-systems approach to electrification for efficiency, this collaborative research programme will focus on gaining underpinning knowledge on battery performance and degradation, new devices and packaging for power electronic, design of electric motors that include manufacturing effects and addressing the challenges that electric drives for torque transmission impose on surfaces, substrates and lubricants to optimise materials for drives. This research will address the fundamental research challenges to accelerate electrification of vehicles in the UK. It will deliver new scientific insights to drive forward discovery and innovation in electric and hybrid vehicles. The knowledge generated by this research programme will provide a route to maintain and grow jobs as low emission vehicles replace existing vehicles and will have impacts across the supply chain.
Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.
Is something wrong? Let us know