Dr Andy Palmer CMG, widely regarded as the pioneer of electric vehicles following his stewardship of the Nissan LEAF project more than a decade ago, has been announced as the new chairperson of Brill Power, a battery technology company that he believes will make a key contribution to ushering in a new era in vehicle electrification.
Dr Palmer brings 40 years of automotive industry knowledge to Brill Power as the former COO of Nissan and CEO of Aston Martin Lagonda.
With electric vehicle adoption and recharging networks gaining traction in the lead-up to the 2030 ban of the sale of ICE-powered vehicles, Dr Palmer believes Brill’s technology, with its capacity to extend all types of EV battery lifetime by up to 60%, while enhancing performance, reducing cost of ownership and improving sustainability, will be key to the next stage of intelligent vehicle electrification.
With its technology spun out of Oxford University, Brill Power has developed a patented method to overcome the core performance limitation of all batteries that is defined by the weakest cell in any battery pack. With its active loading approach, Brill’s hardware optimises charging and discharging cycles in proportion to individual cell health, allowing OEMs and the tiered supply chain to deliver solutions that significantly extend the life of vehicle batteries and dramatically increase EV range, thereby solving major consumer adoption issues for the industry.
In addition to optimising battery longevity and performance, Brill has also closed a major blind spot for EVs that currently present a risky purchase proposition in the used car market. With its data analytics solutions, Brill can provide dependable battery health intelligence to buyers and forecast future vehicle life, a critical factor in opening up the second-hand market and democratising EV ownership.
Brill’s technology also allows residual storage potential in a vehicle battery at the point of scrappage (reckoned to be around 70%) to be harnessed for second-life applications. This can provide OEMs with vital pathways for the re-use of spent batteries and maximise the value of battery assets.
With its intelligent oversight of batteries that also adds valuable safety benefits by isolating cells in danger of overheating, Dr Palmer points to the start of a new phase in vehicle electrification.
“We’re seeing a lot of very smart British businesses with exciting and game-changing technologies enter the electrification marketplace. As EV adoption ramps up, companies like Brill can tackle some of the limitations that have been inherent in the current generation of EVs and will move electric driveline technology into a smarter, cleaner, connected and optimised future.
I have been surveying new breakthrough companies that have the potential to maintain the UK’s leading position in clean vehicle technologies and I was very impressed with Brill Power’s potential to answer some of the industry’s key challenges. I’m delighted to have taken up the chair for this exciting young company for whom the future is very bright,” – Dr Andy Palmer
Brill Power’s technologies are bringing transformational advances in longevity, performance, cost, and sustainability to many areas of battery application from EVs to stationary storage systems that harness renewably-generated power.
“Our technologies at Brill Power have the capability to solve many of the problems associated with the shift to zero emissions mobility. Having Andy on board to steer our future course and advise how the automotive industry can benefit from our solutions, is a huge boost to the company and our ambition to focus on sectors that are placing the most significant reliance on batteries.” – Dr Christoph Birkl, Brill Powers CEO.
Brill Power is a member of Advanced Oxford.
