ChinaThe two companies cooperate to develop batteries for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL), which take only a few minutes to charge from 30% to 80%.
EHang, a Chinese flying vehicle company, partners with fast charging specialist Guangzhou Greater Bay Technology (GBT) to develop the first Ultra Fast Charging (UFC) and Extreme Fast Charging (XFC) battery solutions world first for eVTOL, Interesting Engineering reported on April 29. eVTOL, or electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, is being considered a factor in creating a revolution in the field of personal mobility.
“This partnership will help significantly reduce charging times and lay a solid foundation for efficient, large-scale and cost-effective commercial operations in the low-range economy,” EHang said.
EHang and GBT will work together to develop battery solutions and energy storage systems for eVTOL, ensuring they meet the 4H standards set by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). These standards focus on high energy density, high cycle life, high instantaneous charge-discharge rates and high safety. Besides, to create an ecosystem for future commercial activities, the two companies will gradually build fast charging stations and other infrastructure.
One of the main parts of the eVTOL is the battery system, the performance of which will affect flight range, stability, safety and operational efficiency. The new UFC/XFC battery will focus on three important parameters. First is fast charging, it only takes 5 – 10 minutes to charge from 30% to 80%. Second, the battery system has an energy density of more than 200 Wh/kg. Finally, the longevity is over 2,000 cycles.
The new partnership will help promote EHang’s EH216-S flying taxi. This flying taxi was granted a mass production license (PC) by CAAC on March 7. This is the world’s first PC license in the global eVTOL industry, marking a significant leap towards mass production of vehicles of this type and subsequent commercial operation.
The current flight range of the Ehang 216-S is only 30 km with a charging time of 2 hours. The new battery with high energy density and ultra-fast charging capabilities will greatly improve the performance prospects for flying vehicles like the EH216-S.