CATL is not satisfied with being the main manufacturer of batteries for electric cars in the world. The Chinese giant also wants to have a presence in the world of aviation. And, although it still has a long way to go, it has just established a goal that is as ambitious as it is promising.
Zeng Yuqun, founder of the company, said at the “Summer Davos” being held these days in China, that they hope to develop a battery for a civil aircraft weighing about eight tons. It could be ready by 2027 or 2028 and would be capable of offering a range of between 2,000 and 3,000 kilometers.
A boost for the electric plane
CATL assures that it has successfully tested its batteries on a civil aircraft four tons, so the project has a good foundation from which to evolve. Although there are few details, we know that he has been working with the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) for some time.
It is also known that a key part of the project is its next-generation “condensed battery.” In the past we have talked about this CATL solution that promises to have an energy density of 500 Wh/kg, which is above the 200 Wh/kg that we can find in its current lithium-ion solutions.
The announcement leaves some open questions that will likely be answered over time. We don’t know what kind of plane weight you’re referring to (empty, with payload, etc.) and it’s also not clear how many cells will be installed on the experimental aircraft and how much the entire battery will end up weighing.
Be that as it may, the message from the Ningde-based company is clear: they want to expand beyond the electric car, a market in which their products flow to giants such as Tesla, Volkswagen and Toyota. Will CATL dominate a future electric aircraft market? In time we will know.
Images | CATL
In WorldOfSoftware | Batteries that promise 1.5 million kilometers under warranty: CATL’s new idea within the reach of a few vehicles
In WorldOfSoftware | The most efficient engine ever created becomes a clean energy generating beast. The key: hydrogen