Ilika passes scale-up milestone with breakthrough Goliath battery

Ilika PLC (AIM:IKA, OTCQX:ILIKF), the UK-based developer of solid-state battery technology, has taken a step closer to commercialising its Goliath battery platform, after completing a scale-up project with the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre.

The company said it had successfully produced a batch of 10 amp-hour prototype cells using materials made at industrial scale, and that these cells outperformed those built on its in-house pilot line.

The new cells showed greater durability in handling, fewer defects during drying, and crucially, improved performance during rapid charging tests.

The Goliath battery is aimed at the electric vehicle market, where solid-state designs promise faster charging, longer range, and lower costs compared with current lithium-ion alternatives. Ilika believes its latest results support the case for scaling up the technology further.

The company first flagged the start of this large-scale production run in February, when it announced progress in preparing its composite solid-state materials and successfully coating electrodes.

The latest results suggest industrial equipment offers tighter tolerances than lab-based tools, which in turn delivers more consistent quality and higher manufacturing yields; key factors in making solid-state batteries viable at commercial volumes.

The outcome marks the end of Ilika’s collaboration with the UKBIC, the government-backed facility in Coventry that supports early-stage battery companies moving from lab to production.

The improvements reported in this phase (both in performance and yield) are seen as a meaningful validation of the Goliath design as it moves closer to real-world applications.

Ilika's CEO, Graeme Purdy, said: "This data set confirms the suitability of Ilika's Goliath process for giga-factory deployment.

"Following the announcement in the 2024 Autumn Statement from the UK Government of further support for the electrification of the automotive sector,  we look forward to further opportunities to benefit from accessing the expertise of UKBIC."