Battery strategy risks going flat: Lords committee to publish report on role of batteries and fuel cells in achieving net zero

The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee will on Tuesday 27 July publish a report after concluding its inquiry into the role of battery and fuel cells in achieving the UK’s ambition to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The report focuses on topics including:

• Whether the UK’s automotive sector can survive the transition to electric vehicles in the face of tight domestic deadlines and strong international competition for resources, skills and finance;
• The need for Government to support access to critical raw materials for battery manufacture and finance for gigafactories, ahead of the 2027 implementation of UK-EU ‘Rules of Origin’ for vehicle manufacturing;
• The impact of the UK’s chronic engineering skills shortage on the sector’s ability to switch to electric vehicles;
• Potential competitive advantages for the UK if it increases funding for research and development of fuel cells and next-generation batteries; and
• Future improvements in batteries and fuel cells for transport and energy grids so that they better meet users’ expectations in terms of performance, cost and safety.

The Committee, chaired by Lord Patel undertakes inquiries considering various aspects of science and technology.

It is our intention to send out an embargoed copy of the report before its publication date.