A COMPANY behind electric vehicle parts has hailed its momentum after sealing a £28m supercar deal.

Sevcon is developing a controller to electrify drive systems in high-performance machines.

Bosses told The Northern Echo the agreement with the car maker, referred to as a “household name”, will provide vehicles with greater power and reliability and improve emissions.

Matt Boyle, chief executive at Gateshead-based Sevcon, known for supplying controllers for the Renault Twizy electric city car, said its prowess is piquing the interest of renowned manufacturers.

Pointing to a previous deal with a German operation to deliver mechanisms for starter generators, he said Sevcon, which saw turnover rise more than 10 per cent to $22.3m (£15m) in its half year, is enhancing the UK’s position as an electric vehicle hub.

He said: “Momentum is building and we are a worldwide leader in what we do.

"This contract is one of several similar design wins, which give us confidence for significant sales growth in the future.

“The company is a household name and makes less than 10,000 vehicles a year.

“What we are doing is improving performance by providing an electrical boost when cars need it.

"That might be off the starting line, idling or when they need a torque demand.

"For these companies, performance is key because that is what they sell their products on, efficiency is something they can brag about and emissions is something they are required to do.”

Its development contract will last four years, revealing its unnamed customer has forecast it could then spend up to $41m (£28m) on parts.

Mr Boyle also hailed Sevcon’s decision to take on Italian battery charger producer, Bassi, which has delivered record results.

The company acquired Bassi in February for more than £10m, to increase its hold on the electric vehicle market, allow it to sell equipment to more customers and enhance new controllers.

Mr Boyle said Bassi recorded sales of $4m (£2.7m) since January 29, with February and March outperforming any previous levels.

“Bassi is settling down nicely and we’ve had the record months.

"Adding its battery charging technology and power management significantly strengthens our ability to deliver the solutions that markets and customers are demanding.

"We’ve known Bassi for a very long time and have a very similar customer base but are complementary, so we are not stealing from that base.

"This is the next step in our evolution and helps our goal to grow and become the one-stop shop for all electric or hybrid needs."

Sevcon has also made parts for Brammo motorcycles and previously announced it would move further into tractor machinery.