Ricardo Report Defines Best Practice In Evaluating EV Battery Companies

Entitled A battery of questions for electric vehicle investors, the white paper sets out the nature of this challenge given the almost complete absence of industry standards for either cell chemistries and performance, or durability and control architectures in battery systems. Those engaging with the market must therefore operate without the kind of benchmarks and detailed technical information that would normally be expected in the established powertrain areas of diesel and gasoline engines. This situation is further compounded by the relative immaturity and lack of industry experience of EV battery systems suppliers and tangible signs of a ‘gold-rush’ market mentality, in which numerous young companies are chasing opportunities in different directions, with many as yet unable to fulfill automotive series production quality standards.

Ricardo Strategic Consulting is ideally placed to provide robust insight into this technically challenging and dynamic market, in which effective due diligence analysis can make a significant and value-enhancing contribution to strategic investment decisions and supplier selection. The company was last week named ‘consulting firm of the year’ by Finance Monthly magazine in recognition of the work of its technology-based due diligence practice. In the white paper published today, this same award-winning team sets out best-practice processes and guidance that investors and automakers should follow in evaluating battery systems companies.

Commenting on the publication of the paper, Ricardo Strategic Consulting MD Markus Doerr said:

“Through this report we aim to provide some strategic insights to potential investors and actors in the market for automotive EV battery systems. This is an area in which Ricardo’s deep awareness of automotive innovation can prove invaluable alongside our award-winning capability in technology-based due diligence work. Using best-practice Ricardo processes and guidance such as those set out in the paper, our aim is to enable investors to maximize their returns and help automotive customers identify the supplier partners that will provide the most compatible and enduring medium and long-term fit to their business requirements.”