BP announce £50 million electric vehicle battery centre for Berkshire

By Stephen Emerson

9 August 2022

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BP have announced their intention to construct an electric vehicle (EV) battery testing centre and analytical laboratory in Berkshire.

The facility is to be built at the BP headquarters in Pangborne and operational by 2024. Research and development facilities already exist at the Berkshire site. Over 400 people are already employed onsite.

BP have stated they will enhance the development of fuels, lubricants and EV fluids in order to become a leading hub for fluid technologies and engineering in the UK. The aim is create ultra fast chargers for electric vehicles.

As well as advancing the performance of electric vehicles the new thermal management e-fluid technologies will contribute to other industries, such as data management centres.

Michelle Jou, CEO Castrol said: “The growth of EV fluids is a huge opportunity, and we aim to be the market leader in this sector. Two thirds of the world’s major car manufacturers use Castrol ON EV fluids as a part of their factory fill and we also supply Castrol ON EV fluids to the Jaguar TCS Racing Formula E team.

“This significant new investment will now allow us to build additional strategic technologies and capabilities to further advance EV fluids."

Louise Kingham, BP’s UK head of country, said: “This additional investment will help accelerate the transition to EVs by developing solutions to help decarbonise the transport sector. This is another example of our ambitious plans to do more, and go faster."

BP has previously announced its intention to invest up to £18 billion in the UK’s energy system by the end of 2030

By Stephen Emerson

Stephen Emerson is the Managing Editor of The Business Magazine and is responsible for the publication's print publications and online properties including the newly launched Biz News websites in Hampshire and Dorset.

Stephen has been a journalist for 20 years and has worked at local, regional and national publications and led a team which made The Scotsman website one of the fastest growing news sites in the UK with over eight million monthly users.

He has a keen interest in technology, property and corporate finance and telling the stories of the people behind the successful firms in these sectors.