US manufacturer of lithium-ion battery packs for electric vehicles, Evida Power, has opened its UK headquarters at the TechnoCentre on the Coventry University Technology Park.
The announcement follows a $250 million exclusive agreement, signed last month, to supply the Franco-German electric vehicle maker, Mia Electric, with 8kWh battery packs for its three new electric vehicle (EV) models over the next five years.
The battery packs will be manufactured at Evida’s pack assembly facility in China.
The UK headquarters will employ 20 people from 2012 across Evida’s engineering and development, sales and marketing, and administrative functions.
Newly-hired chief operating officer Trevor Power will be based at the site. He said: “A presence in the UK enables our business to affirm its position at the heart of the country’s automotive engineering sector, whilst enabling us to tap into the mature and established supply of engineering resource which Coventry and the greater West Midlands region provides.
“The TechnoCentre on the Coventry University Technology Park fulfilled our stringent venue selection criteria, and is a location which can accommodate our rapid expansion as we continue to grow our client portfolio across the UK and Europe.”
Power has previously served for several years as a director for black cab company London Taxis International (LTI) and was a founding director of Modec, the electric van manufacturer which fell into administration last month.
Evida, whose parent company is US-registered, has design and production facilities in Shenzhen, China, and offices in Jerusalem, Israel.
