Tesla’s battery research team, led by Jeff Dahn, has published a new research paper on the progress of their anode-free lithium-metal battery cell.
The new battery cell represents a step forward in improving energy density. An important detail was highlighted in the article, as battery researchers mentioned, that this new battery could even allow “electrified city flying”: “Such a high energy density could increase the range of electric vehicles by approximately 280 km, or even allow electric city flying. “
They’re actually talking about “city” flying, which probably refers to the electric air taxi services that several companies like Uber also work on.
These services are based on vertical take-off (eVTOL) electric aircraft, which can usually carry some passengers over short distances.
Current anode-free lithium-metal battery cells, tested by Tesla’s battery research team in Canada under Jeff Dahn, achieve energy densities and bulk energy densities of approximately 460 Wh / kg at 1000 Wh / L. This may result in higher capacity eVTOL aircraft, but at the same time it is very close to the implementation of commercial electric aircraft.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has previously mentioned that he is planning a commercial VTOL electric aircraft, and estimates that Li-Ion batteries will need to achieve an energy density of 400 Wh / kg in order for the batteries to be able to “beat” kerosene, and electric aircraft be viable.
Last year, Musk said he thought it would happen in five years.
Anode-free lithium-metal battery cells only need to increase by approximately 10% in terms of energy density for Musk’s design to come true. However, Dahn’s team is primarily focused on improving the energy density of the cells, as they currently only achieve 200 cycles (so they can withstand 200 full charges) – although this is already a big improvement over last year.
Recent article
Electric airplane News & Articles
The Hungarian solar-powered airplane plan has hit the world press
Electric airplane News & Articles
NASA’s first electric aircraft to take off soon
Drones News & Articles
An Australian drone can plant 40,000 trees in a day
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Airbus and ITA Airways jointly develop Italian urban air transport
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Airbus and ITA Airways jointly develop Italian urban air transport
Air taxi News & Articles
The first air taxi airport opens in Britain
Electric airplane News & Articles
Slovenian Pipistrel becomes part of Textron’s electric aviation business
Additional aircraft News & Articles
Another aircraft: the air yacht
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Testing Volocopter’s eVTOL
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
A solar-powered device on Mars could make rocket fuel from waste water
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Suzuki promises to launch flying taxis by 2025
Drones News & Articles
Amazon drone delivery is far from taking off
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
CycloTech and Yamato reveal innovative cargo eVTOLconcept with CycloRotors
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
EHang Receives Pre-Order for 100 Units of EH216 AAVs from Indonesian Aviation Company Prestige Aviation
Drones News & Articles
A Hungarian company is developing an agricultural drone with a French partner
Additional aircraft News & Articles
A futuristic, electric rival to the rocket backpack is already in operation
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
FedEx puts drones to work
Additional aircraft News & Articles
British paramedics to start testing rocket backpack rescue in the summer
Air taxi News & Articles
Air Greenland acquires VX4 Air Greenlands from
Air taxi News & Articles
Japanese flying taxis now almost have a timetable
Flying Cars News & Articles
French startup to launch hydrogen-powered flying race car
Drones News & Articles
The silent spy drone designed for the Pentagon is ready
Flying Cars News & Articles
Bruno Senna joins Airspeeder as pilot and ambassador
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
EHang Receives Pre-order for 60 Units of Passenger-grade AAVs from AEROTREE, Malaysia’s Leading Aviation Company, under Strategic Partnership
Additional aircraft News & Articles
NASA may launch inflatable stingray drones to Venus
Drones News & Articles
The Gambit combat drone opens a new era in air warfare
Drones News & Articles
Hydraulic drone that will have a much longer range than its electric counterpart
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Swiss buys solar-powered sustainable kerosene
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Minor accident at Joby Aviation
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Airbus tests hydrogen propulsion on its A380 prototype
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
CAAC Formally Adopts Special Conditions for EH216-S AAV Type Certification
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
A Chinese company has shown how their eVTOL can cope with the most critical part of flying
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
World’s first electric air taxis to be launched in Japan
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Hungarian engineers develop unique parallel hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion system
Air taxi News & Articles
Startup Natilus is set to revolutionise air freight transport
Drones News & Articles
Drones go on duty at the giant Singapore seaport
News & Articles Points of interest
Hydrogen-powered, hypersonic aircraft
Flying Cars News & Articles
Why don’t we use flying cars ?
Additional aircraft News & Articles
MIT’s miniature robots fly using artificial muscles
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
eVTOLs could revolutionise air rescue
More articles you may be interested in...
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Chinese Premier Visited EHang Exhibition Booth at the China Import and Export Fair
Electric airplane News & Articles
Airbus tests auxiliary electric drive
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
The success of the EHang aircraft
Drones News & Articles
The Boeing drone is refueling planes in the air
Drones News & Articles
In 3D with the drones
Flying Cars News & Articles
We have to wait a decade for flying cars
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Minor accident at Joby Aviation
Drones News & Articles
In Seoul, it will also be possible to charge drones from smart poles
Drones News & Articles
Drones and the insurance market
Drones News & Articles
The combat drones of Kelley Aerospace
Flying Cars News & Articles
Flying cars in the city in 2030
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
UPS buys an electric aircraft fleet
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Chinese Premier Visited EHang Exhibition Booth at the China Import and Export Fair
Flying Cars News & Articles
The flying car is close
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
First commercial aircraft to fly on fully sustainable fuel
Electric airplane News & Articles
Diamond electric small plane
Air taxi News & Articles
Flying taxi for longer distances
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
The UPS supplier markets eVTOLs
Electric airplane News & Articles
Amphibian and electric
Drones News & Articles
Four-rotor special drone
Additional aircraft News & Articles
Toyota is also entering the aerospace business
Drones News & Articles
Airbus manufactured a drone courier
Air taxi News & Articles
Hungarian-developed drone taxi
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
EHang Reports Second Quarter 2021 Unaudited Financial Results
Flying Cars News & Articles
Swedish model: full production capacity of the first commercially available flying car by 2022
Electric airplane News & Articles
With an electric plane for sustainability
Air taxi News & Articles
Airbus also gets into city transport
Flying Cars News & Articles
Flying licence for the Slovak flying car
Drones News & Articles
Agricultural drone in the Brazilian lands
Additional aircraft News & Articles
XB-1 supersonic aircraft