Gelion (AIM:GELN) told investors that it has entered into a deal, a 'material transfer agreement', with a top-15 global automotive original equipment manufacturer to assess its Nano-Encapsulated Sulfur (NES) cathode platform across a range of future electric vehicle battery technologies.
The sulfur battery technology company will supply its cathode active material, coated cathodes and liquid electrolyte for evaluation in both liquid and solid electrolyte configurations, covering pathways relevant to lithium metal and graphitic anodes for luxury and mass-market EV applications.
Gelion positions NES as a drop-in replacement for the nickel and cobalt used in conventional lithium-ion cathodes, built from abundant, low-cost sulfur and designed to fit within existing manufacturing lines without major re-tooling.
The deal adds a further OEM relationship to a programme that already includes the CoRe-SoLiS solid-state lithium-sulfur project with Nissan Technical Centre Europe and the University of Oxford, and a separate £2m joint development agreement with Mitsui Kinzoku Co to validate NES cathode material in high-energy-density cells.
"We are now working with a number of major global automotive OEMs," said Matt Wood, Gelion's chief executive, adding that the agreement marks "further progress towards the adoption of our technology and the generation of commercial revenues via funded programmes and eventually license and royalty revenue in the global EV market".
Wood said engagement from global EV manufacturers "reinforces the potential and attractiveness of our NES technology", noting similar momentum in the company's drone and device partnerships and its work with Tier 1 materials suppliers on scale-up.