Flywheel technology that will give an EV driver 100 miles range with a 5 minute charge, and be deployed in rural areas, has won a £545,000 grant from the UK Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, in partnership with Innovate UK.
Levistor’s so-called ‘kinetic battery’, can provide a short-term power boost to the grid wherever extra energy is needed – in towns and cities, as well as rural areas – for ultra fast-charge electric vehicles (EVs). The grant will support Levistor’s commercialisation of its flywheel energy storage system, which helps manage the extra power needed for on-street EV chargers, storing energy from the grid at times of low demand and releasing it quickly to EVs when they demand a fast charge.
To date, Levistor’s technology, developed by City, University of London, has received grant support from Highways England, Innovate UK and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. It will be embarking on a crowdfunding campaign (via the Crowdcube platform).
The Levistor flywheel can be connected to the local grid and can be quickly deployed above or below ground singularly or in multiples.
Matt Journee, chief executive of Levistor, said: “We are delighted to have secured a OZEV grant, as it’s really important, and indeed fair, that rural communities can take full advantage of EVs, without worrying about charging. And it’s equally important that local electricity grids in rural areas can handlethe increased demand that can be expected as the EV-driving revolution takes hold. Levistor’s proven technology provides a neat and cost-effective solution.”