CATL’s new battery tech could inch electric planes closer to reality

With the world gradually moving toward electric cars, it’s only a matter of time before EVs take to the skies, at least for shorter trips. Inching us closer to that milestone is Chinese battery maker CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited), which on Wednesday launched a battery at the Shanghai Auto Show that it claims can power electric passenger aircraft. The semi-solid state battery with condensed electrolyte has a density of up to 500 Wh/k, meaning it can store 500 Watt hours of energy for every kilogram of its weight.

The company says it can “achieve mass production of [the] condensed battery in a short period of time,” and it expects to begin mass production of an automotive-focused variant later this year. “The launch of this cutting-edge technology breaks the limits that have long restricted the development of the battery sector and will open up a new scenario of electrification centering on high level of safety and light weight,” stated CATL’s announcement. However, NASA has been testing electric planes throughout the past decade, and others are working on hybrid planes, like ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric aircraft that completed a 10-minute flight this January. Rolls-Royce even …read more