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EHang and Shenzen Inx (a Chinese battery startup) have created a battery that uses metallic lithium as an anode and oxide ceramics as an electrolyte to create an unmatched energy density of 480 watt-hours per kilogram. Today, the average EV battery has between 260 and 270 watt-hours per kilogram, so they have effectively doubled the capacity for a given battery weight.
While this battery was designed to make EHang’s pilotless human-carrying drone (or autonomous flying car) more viable by potentially nearly doubling its range, taking it from a max flight time of 25 minutes to over 48 minutes (it looks pretty cool), it could also revolutionize the EV industry by addressing its biggest customer complaint, not enough range.
Doubling EV Range Would Be A Game Changer
If you look at the EV I drive, the Audi E-Tron GT, my 2022 car has around 250 miles of range, which, for many, is too little; the latest version adds 100 miles to this range, bringing it to around 350 miles which is more than adequate for most every commute and most trips. However, it is trips where EVs fall because the charging infrastructure isn’t complete yet, and public chargers are often unavailable or broken and are generally way more expensive to use than charging at home.
But now double that range, and at 700 miles of range for the same battery size and weight, suddenly it is good enough for almost anyone because it is unusual to take a trip longer than 350 miles meaning you’d have enough energy to go to and from your destination and still be able to charge at home.
I would expect the cost of this battery to be far higher than that of existing technologies initially because it is relatively new and likely will initially be built in small quantities for the flying EV market. However, it showcases that massive capacity improvements are coming, which could make EVs far more competitive than they are today.
Flying EVs
The issue with most flying EVs like the EHang EH216-S is also a lack of range. Unlike a terrestrial vehicle, if you run out of energy in the air, it isn’t like you can pull over and wait for a tow. It would be best if you had that range and a buffer to feel safe, and a flight time of 40 minutes should, because flying EVs like the EH216-S are used as air taxis, get you to the destination and allow the EV to return to a charging station too fast charge for its next rider.
The battery formulation should allow for faster charging with far less fire and battery degradation risk, so the battery should remain helpful for far longer than a typical EV battery does today. I should add that Xpeng, another maker of flying EVs just released their X2 in Australia for the personal flying vehicle market it costs $200K or the low range when compared to an exotic car, and it has 30 minutes of flying time with its more conventional battery, were you able to double that range to nearly an hour it too would be far more viable (be aware that Australian regulators have not yet approved it) but these flying EVs are coming to market fast and furiously.
Wrapping Up:
Batteries remain the Achilles’ heel of EVs, whether we are talking land, water, or air. A breakthrough like this that nearly doubles capacity while keeping weight the same is a game changer. The fact that these breakthroughs are not only happening very quickly but mainly in China again showcases that China is moving from dominance to leadership in EV capabilities, and these same capabilities will assist in other emerging markets like robotics and personal electronics.
The US and the West, in general, continue to fall behind China, and Tariffs are only a band-aid. On their current path, China is likely to dominate these emerging markets by 2030 unless efforts are increased to improve competitiveness.
Rob Enderle is a technology analyst at Torque News who covers automotive technology and battery development. You can learn more about Rob on Wikipedia and follow his articles on Forbes, X, and LinkedIn.
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