China's Solid-State Battery Revolution: Not Just In Electric Cars Also For Flying Cars

EHang flying car. (Doc. X/@mako_63)

JAKARTA China's battery industry is at the forefront of the energy revolution by accelerating the development of solid-state batteries. This cutting-edge technology not only promises higher energy density, better security, and lower costs than conventional lithium-ion batteries, but is also a fundamental key to the rapid advancement of "flying cars".

China's various giant battery manufacturers, reported by China Daily, Monday, June 9, showed significant progress in this innovation race.

In early May, the Gotion High-Tech made history by launching an initial road test for its newest generation all-solid-state battery. This achievement follows the completion of China's first fully localized 0.2 gigawatt-hour pilot line.

Not only that, but Gotion also introduced a G-Yuan battery, which is capable of reaching an impressive 30019/kg energy density. According to Chief Scientist Gotion, Zhu Xingbao, this battery is designed for the main application on electric Very Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, electric vehicles (EV), and even humanoid robots.

Ganfeng Lithium And CATL Don't Miss Out

Ganfeng Lithium, another major player, has just announced the success of building a full chain layout for solid-state batteries. They now have the capabilities of research and production in key areas. Their products have now reached 420 SIGNs/kg of energy density, and have even managed to develop samples that reach 500 validity/kg.

Meanwhile, CATL, the global battery giant, also reported in mid-May that their solid-state batteries could reach a maximum energy density of 500 validity/kg. CATL is even advancing its civilian electric passenger aircraft project, by complying with aviation safety and quality standards through various rigorous tests.

These manufacturers are expected to reach an all-solid-state battery small-scale demonstration installation in vehicles by 2027, and advance to mass production by 2030. This type of battery application is very broad, not limited to electric vehicles only.

Analysts agree that the progress of solid-state battery development will fundamentally determine the launch time of the low-altitude aircraft, represented by eVTOL. Professor Huang Liang of Hunan University stressed that the development of eVTOLs and other low-altitude aircraft demands higher requirements on batteries in terms of energy density, power output, fast charging, and long lifetime. Solid-state batteries need to gradually penetrate 400 to 600hub energy densities to meet these needs.

Data shows that eVTOL consumes 65 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometers, three to five times more than EVs, and requires 10 to 15 times higher instant power when taking off and landing. Currently, leading eVTOL companies require batteries to have a 300 langit energy density and a lifetime of 500 cycles.

Meanwhile, EHang, an autonomous air vehicle company, has proven this potential. In November last year, EHang launched an eVTOL test equipped with a solid-state battery. The results are impressive: single flight time reaches 48 minutes and 10 seconds, an increase of 60 to 90 percent in operational time compared to previous tests.