Next-Gen Battery Could Make Electric Aviation a Reality

The world’s leading manufacturer of EV batteries, a China-based company, is developing the next generation of electric batteries, opening the possibility for electric aviation and super long-range.

The next-generation electric battery will have a density capacity of up to 500 watt-hours per kilogram – roughly double the 255 watt-hours per kilogram capacity of the best batteries currently on the market – and an autonomy of roughly 1,500 kilometers.

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) is developing a “semi-solid state” battery – a solid electrolyte in its anode, the negatively charged side during discharging, and a liquid or gel in its cathode, the positively charged side – a design safe and dense enough to be used for cars and trucks, but also aircrafts. As part of the development of an electric passenger aircraft, CATL is “practicing aviation-level standards and testing in accordance with aviation-grade safety and quality requirements.” Battery supplier of some of the largest automakers like BMW, General Motors, Tesla, and Volkswagen, CATL is looking to start mass production this year.