UK’s Faraday Institution awarding $58M to four battery research consortia to accelerate EV adoption

The UK’s Faraday Institution recently announced up to £42 million (US$58 million) in new government funding to four UK-based consortia to conduct application-inspired research aimed at overcoming battery challenges to accelerate the electric vehicle (EV) revolution.

The Faraday Institution is the UK’s independent national battery research institute, and was established as part of the government’s £246-million (US$341-million) investment in battery technology through the Industrial Strategy. Its formation was announced in October 2017 by the Business Secretary Greg Clark.

The Faraday Institution’s goal is to make the UK the go-to place and world leader for battery technology research and it has a clear mission to ensure the UK is well-placed to take advantage of the future economic opportunities from this emerging technology.

With 200,000 electric vehicles set to be on UK roads by the end of 2018 and worldwide sales growing by 45% in 2016, investment in car batteries is a massive opportunity for Britain and one that is estimated to be worth £5 billion by 2025.

Through our flagship Industrial Strategy and its Future of Mobility and Clean Growth Grand Challenges, we are committed to making Britain the ‘go-to’ destination for the development and deployment of this game-changing technology. Government investment, through the Faraday Institution, in the projects announced today will deliver valuable research that will help us seize the economic opportunities presented by battery technology and our transition to a low-carbon economy.

—Business Minister Richard Harrington

The topics for the four projects were chosen in consultation with industry, who will partner closely with each of them. This unique collaboration will help to ensure that the research is producing findings and solutions that meet the needs of business. In addition, industrial partners will contribute a total of £4.6 million (US$6.4 million) in in-kind support to the following four projects:

• Extending battery life – Led by the University of Cambridge with nine other university and 10 industry partners, this project will examine how environmental and internal battery stresses (such as high temperatures, charging and discharging rates) damage electric vehicle (EV) batteries over time. Results will include the optimization of battery materials and cells to extend battery life (and hence EV range), reduce battery costs, and enhance battery safety. With Cambridge, university partners include University of Glasgow, University College London, Newcastle University, Imperial College London, University of Strathclyde, University of Manchester, University of Southampton, University of Liverpool and University of Warwick.
• Battery system modeling – Imperial College London (ICL) will lead a consortium of six other university and 17 industry partners to equip industry and academia with new software tools to understand and predict battery performance, by connecting understanding of battery materials at the atomic level all the way up to an assembled battery pack. The goal is to create accurate models for use by the automotive industry to extend lifetime and performance, especially at low temperatures. With ICL, university partners include University of Southampton, University of Warwick, University of Oxford, Lancaster University, University of Bath, and University College London.
• Recycling and reuse – A project led by the University of Birmingham, including seven other academic institutions and 14 industrial partners, will determine the ways in which spent lithium batteries can be recycled. With the aim to recycle 100% of the battery, the project will look how to reuse the batteries and their materials, to make better use of global resources, and ultimately increase the impact of batteries in improving air quality and decarbonization. With Birmingham, university partners include the University of Leicester, Newcastle University, Cardiff University, University of Liverpool, Oxford Brookes University, University of Edinburgh, and the Science and Facilities Technology Council.
• Next generation solid state batteries – The University of Oxford will lead an effort with six other university partners and nine industrial partners to break down the barriers that are preventing the progression to market of solid-state batteries, that should be lighter and safer, meaning cost savings and less reliance on cooling systems. The ambition of this project is to demonstrate the feasibility of a solid state battery with performance superior to Li-ion in EV applications. With Oxford, university partners will include the University of Liverpool, University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde, University of Cambridge, University College London, and the University of St. Andrews.

The Faraday Institution is the UK’s independent, national institute for electrochemical energy storage science and technology, supporting research, training, and analysis. The first phase of the Faraday Institution is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through the government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF). Headquartered at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, the Faraday Institution is registered charity with an independent board of trustees.

The Faraday Battery Challenge—£246 million over four years—is to develop and manufacture batteries for the electrification of vehicles to help UK businesses seize the opportunities presented by the move to a low carbon economy. The challenge will be split into three elements: research, innovation, and scale-up. It is among the first of six investment areas announced by the government to be funded through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.

Faraday Future FF91 Makes First Public Appearance At Car Show

Last weekend, people at the Mother’s Car Wax show in Long Beach, California, were treated to an unexpected visitor — a fully functioning Faraday Future FF91 beta car in frozen black livery. Looking like a cross between a Jaguar I-Pace and a Toyota Matrix, the all-electric SUV claims to have a 130 kWh battery and 1,500 horsepower. Without providing details, the company says it has created “the world’s highest energy density battery.”

The FF91 is claimed to have a range of 378 in the EPA test cycle and a 0–60 time of 2.39 seconds. It is built on what the company calls its Variable Platform Architecture. In theory, instead of doing what all other car companies do, which is build a chassis and then designing several models to fit it, Faraday Future will have a flexible chassis architecture that can be stretched or shortened, widened or made narrower, as needed to meet market demands. In theory, that will enable the company to respond rapidly to changes in consumer demand.

The FF91 will “feature retractable 3D Lidar” as part of “a complex sensor system including 10 high definition cameras, 13 long and short range radars, and 12 ultrasonic sensors.” The Lidar sensor is rather big and ugly, so it retracts when not needed in order to make the car more appealing from an appearance point of view.

Lidar is controversial. Elon Musk refused to use it for his cars because he says it doesn’t work well in rain or snow conditions. Cadillac is using Lidar for its new Super Cruise option in the CT6, but with a twist. Instead of fitting every car with a Lidar sensor, it will be equipping a fleet of cars with Lidar and use them to map US highways. (Super Cruise is only intended for use on limited access roadways.) It will then download the data gathered by the test fleet to actual customer cars via the cloud.

The Faraday Future FF91 may be a great car. But whether it ever goes into production is a matter of some conjecture. The company has run out of money and recently sold a parcel of land in Silicon Valley it was planning to use for its US headquarters. Construction of its factory in North Las Vegas ground to halt last fall and may never get started again. The FF91 you see here may become a true collector’s item — a one of a kind example of a car that never made it past the prototype stage.

Source: Futurism | Image credit: MotorworldHype via Twitter

Faraday Future Debuts The FF 91: 378 Miles Range, 0-60 MPH In 2.39 Seconds

Live from Las Vegas ahead of the 2017 CES show, Faraday Future has taken the wraps off its first production-intent vehicle – the FF 91.

Right from the word ‘go’, Faraday’s Peter Savagian touted the FF 91’s performance saying that:

“We have developed the world’s greatest electric propulsion system.”

Total power of the FF 91 is reported at 783 kW/1,050 hp, and 0-60 mph in 2.39 seconds, making it faster than its most obvious competition, the Tesla Model X, and by a decent margin.

Faraday even brought both the Model X and Model S (P100DLs) and FF 91 on stage to show off its EV’s abilities in comparison (see video above), calling the Tesla EV’s abilities “commendable”.

Faraday Future Debuts The FF 91: 0-60 MPH In 2.39 Seconds

Faraday Future FF 91 – Arriving in 2018

As for the battery capacity, Faraday says it has both the high energy density cell and largest in the business at 130 kWh (which reminds of sister-car company Lucid Air’s optional 130 kW pack).

Faraday Future FF 91

Total range?  In excess of 378 miles on the EPA adjusted scale, or 700 km on the optimistic NEDC rating system.

Faraday notes that a constant speed of 55 mph, the FF 91 will travel 482 miles.

L2 charging is offered on the car up to 15 kW, while the FF 91 can charge on DC fast charge at up to 200 kW.

Faraday classes the FF1 something between a mid to full size vehicle thanks to a large wheelbase, and 150+ cu feet of interior space.

Faraday Future FF 91: “A New Species”

Pricing is yet to be announced – other than to say that it will be “priced as a premium flagship model“, with estimated start of deliveries in 2018.

But if you just have to have the first one… Faraday Future says they will be “auctioning off” the first “Alliance Edition” Unit_01 in March – with proceeds to a environment protection fund (that will be revealed later).

Faraday Future FF 91 – reservations open now

And off you go FF 91. Ok, now off you go. Hrm, well how about now? Well, nevermind all that self-driving then.

Overall, the presentation went off fairly well, closing with an embrace for Faraday Founder Jia Yeuting

We should note that the presentation was not flawless.  After announcing Faraday Founder Jia Yeuting (and his exit from a FF91 on stage), he was asked to demonstrate the EV taking itself off stage and “self parking” in valet mode.  Only problem…it didn’t happen.  Whoops.

“Ok, it seems like it is a bit, uh…lazy tonight.”

We should note that the FF 91 did eventually motivate itself under its own power at the end of the presentation, after a fairly intense dramatic pause.

Faraday Future FF 91

Doors open for the FF 91

Remote doors in operation

On reservations:

Faraday Future FF 91 does a little self parking

Faraday Future has already opened “priority reservations”, for an initial deposit of $5,000.

This deposit gives one the ability to “upgrade” the reservation for one of the first “exclusive FF91 Alliance Editions” this March (think akin to Tesla’s “Founder’s Edition” we suppose), as well as a factory visit, test ride and a ticket to future launch events.

Faraday on the special edition:

The Alliance Edition

We will only release 300 exclusive FF 91 Alliance Edition models. Each will be uniquely personalized according to your customization preferences and specially built with a rare, edition-exclusive, paint color. You will also have the distinction of being one of a very select group of early owners.

Alliance Edition Benefits

• Limited to 300 units with priority delivery
• Exclusive exterior color: Silicon Valley Aluminum
• Unique & personalized Alliance Edition digital interface
• Unique Alliance Edition external badging
• A portion of FF 91 Alliance Edition sales proceeds will be donated for environmental protection
• Exclusive Membership to our ‘Futurist Club’

Faraday Future’s Nick Sampson opens the presentation of the new FF 91

Faraday Future FF 91 Quick stats:

• 0-60 mph in 2.39 seconds
• 1050 HP
• 378 miles range (EPA)
• Charging L2: up to 15 kW
• Charging DCFC: up to 200 kW
• ADAS Sensor Suite: 13 long and short range radars, 12 ultrasonic sensors, 10 high definition cameras, 1 3D retractable lidar

Faraday Future – more than 450 miles range at a consistent 55 mph

Dimensions:

Length: 206.7”/ 5250mm
Wheelbase: 126″ / 3200mm
Width: 89.9″ / 2283mm
Height 62.9” / 1598mm

Features:

• Driverless Valet Parking
• Keyless Entry
• Facial Recognition Tech
• “Best in class” high-speed internet on the road

Faraday Future Activates New Website Prior To CES Reveal

Want to know what the first production car from Faraday Future will look like? The company activated a new front page for its website on December 13 that will show it to you — sort of. The image on the page starts with the car’s chassis. Its silhouette will be slowly filled in by a series of graphic dots over the next 20 days until it is completed at 6:00 pm on January 3. That’s when the actual car will be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The website home page will turn into a live stream at that point, viewable on any digital device.

The dots you see on the company home page represent the particle imagery the car’s computer uses to create a three dimensional view of the environment around it based on input from Lidar and other sensors. The suggestion is the car will have advanced semi-autonomous capability when built and could be capable of full self driving operation when and if regulators approve the sale of such cars. So far, Michigan is the only state to do so.

There is a link at the bottom of the page that allows interested people to create an account with Faraday Future to receive e-mail updates about when and how to reserve a car. Of course, before Faraday Future sells a car, it must first build a car. Construction of its proposed factory in North Las Vegas has stopped amid reports that it owes the general contractor millions of dollars in past due payments, but the website says construction will resume soon. Very soon.

Dan Schwartz the treasurer of Nevada has gone on record saying that the company’s principal financial backer, Jia Yueting, has no money. “Could he get more money? My sources in China say the government there isn’t financing him. I wonder where and how they’re going to continue this project.”

Faraday has recently extended its contract with the city of Vallejo in California to study whether it should build a second smaller factory and “customer experience center” in a commercial development zone owned by the city. Will Faraday Future survive? It may all depend on how the reveal in Las Vegas goes. There is a good chance the event it meant as much to convince potential investors to open their wallets as it is to wow the public.

While you are waiting for January 3 to arrive, you can amuse yourself by watching a prototype Faraday Future dust off a Tesla Model X in a drag race. The fact that the company chose Tesla’s SUV to square off against probably tells us more about what kind of car is under all that camouflage than all those dots on Faraday’s home page. Here’s a bold prediction — the first Faraday Future will be an electric SUV designed to compete head to head in features and price with the Tesla Model X. In 20 days, we will know for sure.

Source: Faraday Future press release.

First Official Look At Faraday Future’s Prototype Electric Car – Video

Comments

Faraday Future Electric Car

It’s just a brief glimpse, but this is the first official look we get at Faraday Future’s prototype electric car.

Faraday Future states:

“Electric performance; a first look at our prototype in action. Things are moving fast.”

From the video, it appears as though Faraday’s upcoming electric car based upon this prototype will be a large-sized hatchback / CUV. If true, this is a relatively untouched segment for plug-ins and Faraday could grab hold of most of the segment.

Here’s what else we know of Faraday Future’s upcoming electric car:

• To feature LG Chem cells with the highest energy density ever in a production automotive battery
• Will use VPA platform, the company’s universal and scalable modular battery structure
• Autonomous drive capability
• Full reveal set for January at CES

Faraday Future Electric Car

Faraday Future Hits Speed Bump In Nevada

Faraday Future has assembled an impressive team of top flight auto engineers and industry executives, including Marco Mattiacci, formerly of Ferrari. It says it will have a concept car to show to the public by the end of this year. Backed by a billionaire who has already invested $300 million of his own money, it has selected North Las Vegas as the site of its $1 billion factory. In short, Faraday Future seems to have everything it needs, except one thing — the confidence of Nevada state treasurer Dan Schwartz.

He is the man who has to sign off on building the infrastructure that will be needed to make the factory a reality. Schwartz is the former CEO of a private equity research firm in Hong Kong. He thinks Jia Yueting, the man with the deep pockets, can’t put his money where his mouth is. He says he wants more transparency on the funding for the factory before signing off on state bonds that will pay for $120 million of infrastructure improvements.

Schwartz has good reason to be concerned. Jia’s principal business is called Leshi Internet Information & Technology. Jia has developed a preference for equity backed loans, a financing strategy that could leave Nevada taxpayers vulnerable to the whims of China’s volatile stock market. Jia has pledged 87% of his holdings in Leshi for cash that was then plowed back into his various companies, according to regulatory filings.

Trading in Leshi stock was halted in Shenzhen for the first five months of 2016. Since trading resumed in June, the stock has dropped another 11%. That fuels Schwartz’s fear that a margin call could prevent Jia from funding the plant. “You can see where this leads,” Schwartz said. “His Internet company is successful, but that doesn’t generate the billions of dollars he’d need. Where’s he going to get the money?’’

At 105 times projected earnings for this year, the stock is more than twice as expensive as the median China-listed company. The firm has recorded negative cash flow for the past two quarters, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.  “It’s a matter of time before problems emerge,” said Wang Zheng, the Shanghai-based chief investment officer at Jingxi Investment Management, which oversees a portfolio of about $300 million. It is avoiding Leshi shares, in part because of concerns over its financing strategy. “The company is capital strapped,” said Dai Ming, a money manager at Hengsheng Asset Management in Shanghai.

For Schwartz, Jia and Faraday Future need to explain clearly how they plan to provide stable financing for the Nevada project. Only then would he consider supporting a state debt sale to fund the plant’s infrastructure. His critics suggest he is grandstanding in advance of a possible run for governor. “I may/may not run for governor, but this project has nothing to do with my political future,” Schwartz says. “It’s strictly about whether Faraday has the money/expertise to build a $1 billion electric-car manufacturing facility in North Las Vegas. And, if they don’t, whether or not I want the Nevada taxpayer to pick up the tab.”

Until Faraday Future satisfies Schwartz’s concerns, its future factory is going absolutely nowhere.

Source: The Seattle Times

Faraday Future Adding a Bay Area Factory

Faraday Future has signed a deal with the California city of Vallejo for a 150 acre manufacturing site on Mare Island, an abandoned former US Navy shipyard situated 30 miles north of San Francisco.

“When we first started marketing this property, our first objective was good-paying jobs with green technology and an employer willing and able to make the necessary investment,” said Mayor Osby Davis. “Faraday Future and its plans to make Vallejo its second manufacturing site and bring green technology to Mare Island checks all the boxes.”

The Faraday facility is expected to create hundreds of much needed jobs and to pump hundreds of millions of dollars into Vallejo. The city was the original capitol of California. It went bankrupt in 2008 after the Navy shuttered the shipyard and left town.

“We anticipate that the project will create hundreds of construction related, ongoing professional, and manufacturing jobs to local residents,” said Faraday Future spokeswoman Stacy Morris. “Additionally, the investment in our manufacturing facility, customer experience center, and business offices is estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars. This includes investing significantly in the restoration and revitalization of the land surrounding the facility.”

Faraday Future is keeping quiet about exactly what sort of work will take place on Mare Island. Its company headquarters are located in Gardena, an industrial city south of Los Angeles. It is just now beginning construction of a billion dollar factory in North Las Vegas, Nevada. It is said to have 760 employees in the US.

The company says it will build electric cars that feature advanced connectivity. It also claims to have created an innovative chassis platform that can be adjusted for width and length to accommodate the shifting needs of the marketplace.

Faraday is expected to unveil a prototype of its first car before the end of this year. The first production cars are supposed to begin rolling out of the Nevada factory in 2018.

Source: Associated Press via CBS Sacramento. Image credit: Faraday Future

Faraday Future Prototypes Coming By The End Of This Year

Faraday Future says it has had test mules on the road for over a year, testing every facet of its cars from powertrains to suspensions. Electrical architecture and control systems as well as the battery itself have also been put through their paces. Reportedly, the test mules have operated successfully in some of the world’s harshest environments. Test mules are often heavily disguised and bear no outward resemblance to a production ready car.

“Some people call a mule a ‘hacked-up car,'” Matt Lubbers, Faraday’s brakes and chassis control engineer said. “They may not look like a production vehicle, but they certainly run like one.” He praises Faraday’s strategy of testing multiple technologies in one mule. “They’re all here. This car is FF to its core.”

Faraday Future held a virtual groundbreaking ceremony for its new billion dollar factory in North Las Vegas recently. Afterwards, Nick Sampson, senior vice president for research and development, told Business Insider, “We’re testing both mechanical and software systems, and before the end of this year, we’ll have full prototypes that represent our production cars.” Lubbers tells The Verge that Faraday Future’s management style, which features a “lack of red tape” and “effortless communication and workflow,” is speeding the development process faster than would be possible for other companies.

Very little is known about the car or cars Faraday Future intends to bring to market. The company has been granted one US patent and says it has 99 more pending. The company released the teaser photo you see above last week, which may or may not bear any relationship to an actual car. It also posted a short video on YouTube that makes it pretty clear its cars will be electric.

In China last week, LeEco — which is backed by the same person behind Faraday Future — did unveil an actual 4 door concept car. Known as LeSEE, it will go on display at the Beijing auto show on Monday. One would assume that two companies backed by the same person would build similar cars, but we won’t know more about for some time. When the LeSEE is scheduled for production in unclear, but it seems unlikely the US factory will be ready to start production for 2 to 3 years, no matter how streamlined the company’s management style may be.

Faraday Future Ask Us To Forget Everything We Know About Cars

January 5, 2016. Mark it on your calendar. That’s the date Faraday Future will unwrap its first production prototype and show the world what it has been working for so long in secrecy. To amp up the buzz ahead of the reveal, the company has released a new teaser video that asks viewer to forget everything they know about cars.

It asks questions like:

• “What if the back seat was the new front seat?”
• “What if all those cars parked in driveways had more interesting lives?”

Frankly, I have never been all that concerned about whether my car has an interesting life, any more that I worry that my refrigerator is feeling unfulfilled or my water heater suffers from Oedipal guilt. But Faraday Future is concerned about such things, apparently, and has a plan to make matters better.

On its website, Faraday Future poses existential questions like, “What if there was an electric car that not only helped preserve the environment — it actually made us look forward to the daily commute? What if such a car could redefine our relationship with the automobile itself?” Its self congratulatory rhetoric makes it seem like it is the only company on earth that ever dared look around the corner or beyond next week.

It seems clear that Faraday Future is targeting the brand new, on-demand car sharing segment of the marketplace created by autonomous driving systems. Soon, we will not own cars at all. We will simply summon the car we need when we need it via an app our smartphone. We will pay a fee to use it, then send it on its merry way when we are done. The fee-for-service model will be less expensive than buying a car, making monthly payments, paying taxes and insurance, and fixing it when it breaks down.

On the surface, that argument makes economic sense, particularly for urban dwellers who have access to multiple transportation options and probably don’t have a garage to park a car anyway. It may not work as well for people who live rural or suburban lives. And it doesn’t take into account who will dispose of the empty latte cups the last user left behind or who will plug it in so there’s enough juice in the battery for the next person.

Uber, Apple, Google, NextEV, Atieva and Tesla all have their eyes on the same market, though. What will the Faraday Future car have to offer that vehicles from those other companies do not? On January 5, we may find out.

Faraday Future Cuts A Deal With Nevada For New Factory

Faraday Future, the secretive automotive start-up from Southern California, has agreed to build a new $1 billion dollar factory in North Las Vegas, Nevada. The deal was announced by company officials and Nevada governor Brian Sandoval on Thursday. According to Bloomberg News, Nevada has agreed to a package of tax incentives and sales tax credits worth $215 million over 15 years. “This solidifies Nevada as the place where the future of transport is happening,” the state’s economic development director, Steve Hill. “People throughout the globe, throughout the country, are talking about Nevada. This is an exceptional opportunity.”

Faraday expects to have 4,500 employees with an average wage of $22 an hour at the North Las Vegas factory, Hill said. The total economic impact from the new factory is estimated at $85 billion over 20 years. It is expected to generate $760 million in tax revenue during that period for state and local governments and schools, Hill said.

Nevada is trying to re-position itself as something more than a gambling mecca and haven for legal prostitution.  The transformation began when Tesla Motors selected a vacant tract of land north of Reno as the site for its GigaFactory, a project that will ultimately add up to $5 billion to the state’s economy.

The Nevada legislature must still approve the proposed incentive package, but that is not expected to be a problem. Governor Sandoval traveled to China earlier this year to negotiate with Faraday’s principal investor, Jia Yeuting. He is currently #17 on Forbes’ list of China’s wealthiest men. Last year he was #78. It has been a very good year for Yeuting, whose LeTV company sells electronics and online content throughout Asia.

Faraday says it will unveil a concept version of its new car at the Consumer Electronics Show, which kicks off January 5 in Las Vegas. Until then, very little is known about the company, other than general statements on its website. About 60 former Tesla employees are now working for Faraday, including Nick Sampson, senior vice president of R&D and engineering, and Dag Reckhorn, vice president of global manufacturing. Reckhorn was deeply involved with creating the production facilities for the Tesla Model S.  Faraday’s lead designer is Richard Kim, a veteran of BMW.

Like all start-ups, Faraday promises to “disrupt” the car business with “ground breaking” new technology, “state of the art” connectivity, and “advanced” autonomous driving features. There are hints that it will pioneer new ownership models and focus on delivering content to the central touch screen so drivers never have to be out of touch with the Facebook and Twitter accounts. Recently, Tamara Warren of The Verge, was among a group of reporters invited to take a tour of the company headquarters near Los Angeles, where a Faraday was on display but kept under wraps. She was sworn to secrecy, but said “the shape was distinct from anything I’ve seen on the road.”

Elon Musk has said recently he craves more competition in the electric car marketplace. With Faraday just down the road, BAIC about to jump into the pool with Atieva, NextEV lurking in the shadows, and new cars in the offing from Google and Apple, it looks like Elon is going to get his wish.