UK firm reimagines electric car design with vertical battery packs

A London-based firm has reimagined the design of an electric car with plans for a vertically mounted battery inside the cabin.

Page-Roberts’ new patented design would see the battery of the car vertically mounted between two rows of opposite-facing seats, a change that would make the vehicle “far more compact” than existing designs, according to the company.

As opposed to placing the batteries under the floor like conventional electric car models, Page-Roberts added that the design will “dramatically upscale EV efficiencies with cutting-edge engineering solutions that deliver design elegance.”

The company claims that this layout can save an extra 75kg of weight compared to the typical skateboard design, and despite the battery being much taller, it says the car will also have a lower centre of gravity. It added that manufacturing costs could be reduced by 36% with these changes, with an extra 30% of range also being achieved.

Freddy Page-Roberts, CEO of Page-Roberts, commented: “The skateboard arrangement has become the mainstay of most EVs. But this results in taller vehicles with increased aerodynamic losses and energy consumption, extra structure required to protect against impact and a longer wheelbase to account for the battery.”

The company said designs in place for a range of vehicle types, from four-seater sports cars to multi-purpose seven-seaters.

Page-Roberts’ chief technology officer Mark Simon, added: “Challenges around battery cost and energy density along with range and charging infrastructure continue to stall progress with EVs, despite both car brands and tech leaders racing to put their stamp on the market.

“Our design concept reduces costs, increases efficiency, enhances agility and offers design freedom. The efficiency translates to less time charging from either longer range or smaller batteries, so pressure on charging points – another key pain point for the industry – will also be reduced.”