EHang Holdings Limited has announced that it has established a strategic partnership with ultra-fast charging-focused Guangzhou Greater Bay Technology Co Ltd (GBT) at the 16th Chongqing International Battery Technology Exchange Conference/Exhibition “for the research and development of the world’s first Ultra-Fast Charging (“UFC”)/eXtreme Fast Charging (XFC) battery solutions for EHang’s eVTOL aircraft. The partnership will promote the research and development as well as industrialization of eVTOL power system components and modules in the UAM sector, laying an ecological foundation for commercial operations of the low-altitude economy.
According to an EHang press statement:
“Based on EHang’s eVTOL aircraft (including EH216-S, VT30 and others), EHang and GBT will jointly develop eVTOL power cells, batteries, packs, charging piles and energy storage systems that meet the airworthiness standards of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) as well as the 4H standards (i.e. high energy density, high cycle life, high instantaneous charge-discharge rate, and high safety), “thereby achieving the adaption and adoption of ultra-fast charging power batteries in EHang’s eVTOL aircraft.
“Furthermore, both parties will gradually develop fast-charging piles, stations and other infrastructures to establish the ecology for future commercial operations.
The UFC/XFC batteries to be jointly developed by both parties for eVTOL aircraft will offer a full scale of advantages in terms of fast charging speed, which is expected to only take five to ten minutes to be charged from 30% to 80%, and over 200Wh/kg high energy density of the battery system, with long cycle life of over 2,000 cycle times.
Pei Feng, President of GBT, said: “The battery system is the ‘base station’ in the clean energy network, and its speed of energy flow affects the efficiency of industrial innovation and user experience. GBT is currently the only company in the world that has achieved mass production of constant-power high-rate power batteries, while EHang is the only company in the world that has achieved all three certificates for its passenger-carrying pilotless eVTOL aircraft.”
According to the press release, Greater Bay Technology is a private-held high-tech private enterprise with mixed-ownership, internally incubated by Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd (GAC). GBT focuses on R&D, production, and services of eXtreme Fast Charging (XFC) battery, a new generation of energy storage and its system. It currently establishes three major product series including ultra-fast, super-fast, and standard-fast. GAC’s AION V Plus 70 powered by GBT’s 7-Min(0~80% charging in 7.5 minutes) battery set the world record of the “fastest electric vehicle charging technology” by the World Record Certification Body (WRCA). GBT is also active in building up its capacity in battery cells and battery pack. The first phase of the newly built headquarters and production base in Nansha District, Guangzhou City, was completed and put into operation at the end of October 2023. As the world’s first specialized factory for eXtreme Fast Charging power batteries, the total production capacity of this base will be 8GWh/year.
For more information
https://www.ehang.com/news/1078.html
(Image: EHang and GBT cooperate to develop the world’s first ultra-fast/eXtreme fast charging batteries for eVTOL
– credit EHang)