Britishvolt buys German battery cell maker EAS for 36 million euros

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LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) - Electric vehicle (EV) battery startup Britishvolt said on Tuesday it will buy German battery cell developer and manufacturer EAS from Bulgaria's Monbat (MONB.BB) for 36 million euros ($38.6 million) to help it scale up its own production.

The deal is subject to regulatory approval, Britishvolt said.

The startup said Nordhausen, Germany-based EAS is a "pioneer in developing and producing large format lithium-ion cells using innovative and compact electrode production technology" ideally suited for its own high-performance, long-range "46xx" battery cell format.

"The acquisition of EAS will allow us to scale up the final part of the 46xx cell development and commercialization," CEO Orral Nadjari said in a statement, adding Britishvolt aimed to make additional investments in EAS.

Britishvolt is working with British sports carmakers Aston Martin (AML.L) and Lotus to develop high-performance EV batteries. read more

Britishvolt has secured UK government backing for a battery plant project in northern England, unlocking 1.7 billion pounds ($2.12 billion) in private funding.

($1 = 0.9335 euros)

($1 = 0.8007 pounds)

Reporting by Nick Carey; editing by Jason Neely

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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