Volklec

Volklec is a UK battery manufacturing company founded in 2024 and based in Coventry, West Midlands. The company produces sustainable lithium-ion battery cells for electric vehicles and stationary energy storage, targeting the domestic EV supply chain and the broader electrification market. Volklec operates from facilities at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), a purpose-built national manufacturing development facility that supports battery companies in scaling from R&D to industrial production.

The core problem Volklec addresses is the absence of meaningful domestic battery manufacturing capacity in the UK. Despite a significant EV market and ambitious government decarbonisation targets, British vehicle manufacturers — particularly the hundreds of small-volume, specialist, and niche producers that make up a distinctive and valuable segment of the UK automotive industry — have no reliable domestic source of battery supply. The consequence is strategic vulnerability: dependency on overseas suppliers, long lead times, and carbon-intensive supply chains that undermine the net-zero credentials of UK-manufactured EVs.

Volklec's approach is deliberately pragmatic. Rather than attempting to develop novel cell chemistry from scratch — a path that consumed and ultimately destroyed companies such as Britishvolt and Northvolt — Volklec licenses proven technology from Far East Battery (FEB), a leading Chinese manufacturer, and combines FEB's supply chain and engineering expertise with UK manufacturing operations. This model allows the company to move quickly, reduce capital requirements, and offer competitive pricing. Current production focuses on 21700 cylindrical NMC cells, with a power cell variant targeting aerospace, marine, and specialist automotive applications in development. Long-term plans include a 10 GWh gigafactory representing over £1 billion of investment.

Backed by Frontive Group and working in collaboration with UKBIC, Volklec has raised £1.3 million in its first funding round. The company is led by founders Imran Khatri and Sameer Khatri, who bring complementary backgrounds in strategic financial management, infrastructure development, global energy trading, and accounting.