EHang Holdings Limited has announced “a significant breakthrough in the development of high-energy solid-state battery technology, in collaboration with the Low-Altitude Economy Battery Research Institute of the Hefei International Advanced Technology Application Promotion Center and Shenzhen Inx Energy Technology Co., Ltd.
“Equipped with this solid-state battery, EH216-S completed a continuous 48 minutes and 10 seconds flight test, which is applicable to different flight requirements and significantly improves the flight endurance by 60%-90%. Notably, this marks a milestone as the first pilotless passenger-carrying electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to complete a flight test with a solid-state battery.
“The high-performance solid-state lithium battery utilizes metallic lithium as the anode and oxide ceramics as the electrolyte, resulting in significant enhancement in energy density and safety. With an energy density of 480Wh/kg and exceptional stability, the battery enhances the flight performance of the EH216-S, broadening its application across the low-altitude economy sector, especially in multiple use cases such as long-range air mobility, aerial logistics, high-rise firefighting, etc.
“Compared to liquid lithium batteries, the solid-state battery offers higher energy density, enhanced thermal stability, reduced flammability, wider working temperature, improved storage stability and excellent maintenance-free qualities. The high-energy solid-state battery has undergone rigorous testing, including electrical performance, mechanical performance, safety performance and other aspects, including tests in extreme conditions like high temperature, pinprick, to demonstrate its safety and stability in a variety of use cases. These features can provide an added layer of safety for passengers and operators and also provide reliable support for UAM applications, including urban air transportation, firefighting and emergence response.
In September 2023, EHang made a strategic investment in Inx and reached a strategic cooperation with Inx to jointly develop high-energy-density solid-state battery for EHang’s eVTOLs. “After multiple iterations of battery cells and modules, the joint R&D team successfully developed a customized solid-state battery solution for the EH216-S, which has now completed flight tests. Moving forward, EHang will continue to cooperate with Inx to further test and optimize the performance and stability of the EH216-S, and target to achieve large-scale production of certified solid-state batteries for the EH216-S by the end of 2025.”
For more information
https://ir.ehang.com/news-releases/news-release-details/ehang-and-inx-achieve-breakthrough-solid-state-battery